Family Portrait
by UnholyUnderBoob
Summary: AU. Their family may not be conventional but she and her girls are happy and loved, it works. Contains consensual, non sexual age-play and domestic discipline, including spanking. Shelby and Unholy Trinity. Sugar may appear later. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

_**I do not own Glee or the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Their family may not be conventional but she and her girls are happy and loved, it works. Contains consensual and non sexual age-play. Shelby and Unholy Trinity. Sugar may appear later.**_

_**R&R please**_

Chapter 1

It still surprises her how easily the girls fall into their, still relatively, new roles, how they seem to thrive when they come home and leave their grown up complaints and problems at the door with their shoes and backpacks. Akward mumblings of hello and stiff, nervous hugs have now changed to excitable greetings and numerous hugs and kisses as they chatter on about their day. Any anxiety they used to have is now long gone and their payments have stopped, the arrangement is now based on love rather than a business transaction. Shelby knows that her girls are jealous of her clients but she always reminds them that she loves them and that she has no attachments to her clients. Her business partner Holly had taken over some of Shelby's clients now that the dark haired woman didn't have to work ridiculously long hours to compensate for the empty house that waited for her at the end of the day. Her girls definitely had a profound love for their aunt Holly after she had stayed with them when Shelby had to go out of town for a few days. It's not exactly a conventional career to have but there is always a demand for someone like her due to the limited amount of 'professionals' and the huge amount of people who secretly have this kind of fetish; age-play. To some, like her girls, it isn't sexual..it's about letting go and embracing your inner child, forgetting about your horrible childhood and your stressful lives. To others, it is.

She remembers vividly the first time she met each of her girls, each one had reacted differently and each one had left an impression on her straight away. Quinn had come to her first appointment with her brilliant hazel eyes trained to the ground and a blush on her face, it had taken several questions from Shelby to find out what exactly the girl was looking for in her sessions and it had taken a few sessions for Quinn to completely relax and be comfortable in her role. Brittany and Santana had come together, the girlfriends had discovered in the past that they both had an interest in age play but Brittany had been much more open to the idea of experiencing it. Santana had refused to participate during the first session and had observed from the corner, despite the fact that she and Brittany had paid for a couple's session. Shelby had noticed the badly hidden longing in the latina's eyes during that first appointment and she wasn't at all surprised when her tall blonde girlfriend easily coaxed her to join in when they came back a week later. Brittany was just so unphased about things, she didn't understand why Santana had been so embarrassed about it and had just embraced her needs and wants.

The first time the three girls found out about each other had been ugly, Quinn's session had run over and, of course, Brittany's excitement had ensured that she and Santana were early for their session. Shelby knew just by the look in Quinn's eyes that the girl knew Brittany and Santana and she saw the panic in the latina's gaze while she started to harshly defend herself. It had also been the first time that Shelby had taken Santana into hand while she was in her teenage state of mind, the first time she realised the love she had for these three girls and the first time they realised their love for her. On a day of so many firsts it was also the last for one important thing; the payments. They were no longer her clients but her children, even when they were not age playing. Most of her clients all paid for the same thing, all liked to be as young as possible, her girls were different. Quinn didn't have a great childhood and it only got worse as she got older. She had told Shelby that when she was eight or nine she realised that her family didn't actually care for her, they cared about appearances, how the rest of the world saw them. Becoming Shelby's client had given her the chance to relive or even better, reinvent that time period in her life and after she stopped being just one of the woman's clients it became even more meaningful.

Santana had been hard to work out, it took her a while to actually trust and open up to Shelby. It had taken Shelby a while to work out how young the latina's mindset was, she didn't find it overly important to know but at the same time it helped to know what kind of things to buy for her and what level of care she needed. After observing the girl carefully and trying to work it out she eventually just did the simplest thing, asked Santana. The latina had looked up from her building blocks just long enough to tell her she was five, with a look of childish annoyance that 'Mama' even had to ask. Shelby has noticed a major change in Santana's attitude outside of her role, her language had cleared up big time and whenever someone had annoyed her at college she usually let it out in the form of a tantrum once she was home with Mama and her sisters, something that usually ended up with her standing in the corner rubbing the sting from her backside. It wasn't until a couple of months later that Santana explained why she naturally fell into that age, having always struggled with anger issues, having a tanrum would allow her the freedom to let her anger out. It was comforting to know that there were consequences in place that were safe and loving and that forgiveness would always come. They did hit a bump in the road when they found out that Brittany wouldn't be graduating high school with Santana and Quinn. It had caused a lot of stress and upset for all of them but now Quinn and Santana are attending James A Rhodes state college right here in Lima and Brittany is repeating her senior year with much more effort this time round and things had calmed down again.

Brittany had been the easiest, she had just came right out and told Shelby everything about her and explained her needs and wants, likes and dislikes. She is the baby of their family and the one who had always fallen into their role without any worries or embarrassment. In the year that their family had been together, the tall blonde is perhaps the one who has flourished the most. Her confidence in her abilities has grown vastly and whenever someone at school had the audacity to pass judgement on her intelligence she would shoot them down and explain why they are wrong to do so. The only time Brittany had seemed even the tiniest bit embarrassed was when she admitted that she would sometimes have accidents during the night but her Mama and sisters had been quick to inform her that it was nothing to be embarrassed about and all of them agreed that Brittany looked adorable in her diaper. Shelby has to admit, as proud of Brittany as she is, she did feel a little emotional when the girl graduated to pull-ups. Brittany is also the least stubborn of her girls, it rarely took more than a stern look and a firm tone to make the girl cease any misbehaviour, with her older sisters it was rare when Shelby didn't have to do more than that.

She had worked her schedule so that this didn't have to happen often but either way the girls would be well looked after as Holly would help out when Shelby was busy. It was a rule she and Holly had from the beginning, to not have appointments at the same time so that one of them would be available to answer the phone or the door to nervous new clients. Brittany would sometimes help out on the rare occasions where Shelby and Holly's schedules did clash and the teenager was a complete godsend, her calm and kind nature is perfect for the business and it was good for her too, especially on the days when Santana and Quinn worked. Both girls decided that they wanted to start helping out with money so had went to find weekend jobs , Santana as a barista at the nearest Starbucks and Quinn as a waitress in a quaint little cafe in town. Shelby had, of course, told them to use their money on themselves and that there was no need for them to help out but there was nothing she could do when they went to the grocery store without her and bought supplies for the house. The woman had enough of her own money to keep the house running but she knew that when they went to the grocery store or the hardware store or even to the garage for her car's yearly check up, they felt like they were contributing; something that was important to them so she allowed it. She had learned that they did prefer going to the grocery store with her, she had worked it out after having to go back out to the store every week when they had 'forgotten' something and eventually just accepted it when they gave her money towards things. The money sits gathering dust inside a jar in her bedroom, where it will stay until the girls need it, they didn't need to know yet that their money would be handed back to them at a later date and Shelby knows it will irritate them but in her defense, she wants to look after her girls and doesn't want to use their money to do so. Their family may not be conventional but she and her girls are happy and loved...it works.

_**To be continued? Let me know what you think :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you so much for the amazing feedback for the first chapter, I was a bit apprehensive about this story so I was so relieved that so many of you liked it.**_

_**A/N- A few of you asked me where Rachel is, she is not in this story..only the people in the description will be a part of the family. Beth does not exist in this story earlier.**_

_**A/N2 - I would just like to stress that Age-Play is not pedophilia. There is nothing sexual at all in this story and most importantly, they are consenting **__**adults**__**. If this is not your thing then don't read it, the warnings are there.**_

_**Thanks to SadPanda13 for her help with the first chapter.**_

Chapter 2

Shelby loves her black escalade, it always makes her feel a little safer while she's driving through the rougher parts of Lima. She also loves the tinted windows, especially now as she glances at Brittany in the rear view mirror. The girl has the freedom to gaze out of the window while sucking her thumb without anyone being able to see her. They also allow Santana to glare out of the window, like she is doing now, without anyone they pass taking offence to the death stare. Shelby sighs softly, the Latina hasn't said two words to either of them since she got into the car, not even to explain why she is in such an awful mood. Santana's mood only darkens when Brittany attempts to talk to her, referring to the girl as 'Tana' as she does so. Santana refuses to answer to any shortened version of her name, she always despises any nickname given to to her. Shelby kind of agrees with her; Santana is such a beautiful name, why would you want to shorten it? At the time, she wishes the girl would make an exception for Brittany, Santana is a rather large mouthful for a toddler. Brittany, bless her, always tries to use her older sister's name properly and if Santana is in a good mood then she will sometimes ignore the use of a nickname. Quinn, on the other hand, would purposely use several variations of Santana's name just to annoy the other girl, only when she thinks Shelby isn't listening though.

"This isn't the way home" Santana mutters sourly, her fingers tugging at a loose thread on the ear of her stuffed rabbit, Bugs, as she scowls down at him.

"We're picking Quinn up from work honey, then we'll be going home" Shelby reassures her calmly. She shakes her head slightly when Santana doesn't respond, instead just continuing to pull at the loose thread. Poor Bugs. "What's bothering you baby?" the woman asks softly as she pulls into the parking lot to wait for Quinn.

"Nothing" Santana grumbles, becoming more forceful with her tugging and a whine escapes her lips as Shelby reaches back and pulls Bugs from her hand, placing the toy inside the glove compartment and closing the hatch. "Mama, you took Bugs!" the little latina cries out.

"You'll get him back when you learn how to look after your toys better" Shelby tells her firmly, turning in her seat to look at Santana properly, not missing the deepening scowl on her little girl's face. She glances at Brittany, who is now asleep, before turning her attention back to Santana and studying the grumpy girl carefully. "What's going on baby?" Shelby asks softly. She frowns at the ridiculously adorable pout on Santana's lips and sighs softly when the girl folds her arms across her chest, this means she's in a stubborn mood, even adult Santana would be almost unbearable at this point.

"People are stupid" the latina murmurs bitterly, sinking backwards in her seat and staring down at her knees.

"Were people actually upsetting you or have you just been grumpy all day?" Shelby asks knowingly, struggling to hide her smirk. "Because you, little lady, aren't very nice to people when you're in a bad mood" she adds pointedly.

"They're still stupid" Santana mumbles, frustrated that she can't just blame other people without her Mama reading her mind with her stupid special Mama powers.

"We don't use that word in our house" Shelby reminds her firmly. "That word can really hurt a person's feelings, remember how mad you got when Artie called Brittany that and remember how sad it made her?" she asks, stretching her arm across to life Santana's chin with her finger, encouraging the girl to look at her.

"We're not in the house, we're in the car" the latina sasses, looking proud of herself for outsmarting her Mama, or so she thinks. Shelby removes her hand from her little girl's chin and swats the side of Santana's thigh.

"Maybe an early night will do you some good" the woman states sternly, Santana's face falling as she turns her attention back to her knees while Shelby turns back to face the front, leaving the girl to sulk. She watches as Quinn crosses the parking lot, chatting to a boy that Shelby assumes is a co-worker and she smiles when she notices the blonde looking over at the car. "Look, Quinn's coming" she informs Santana, smirking at the grin that the latina struggles to suppress, as much as she likes to deny it; Santana adores her sister.

"Hi" Quinn beams as she slides into the front passenger seat and closing the door quietly when she notices Brittany is asleep. She leans across the centre console to hug Shelby and places her purse on the backseat, accidentally knocking Santana's knee with her hand as she draws her arm back. "Sorry Santana" she smiles apologetically.

"Quiiiiin" the latina whines, already over her excitement at seeing the other girl. "Mama, she hit me" she complains to Shelby as Quinn rolls her eyes, glancing at the woman next to her just to confirm that she's not in trouble.

"It was an accident, I heard her apologise" Shelby replies, waiting until Quinn has clipped her seatbelt into place before starting the car again. She glances at Santana in the rear view mirror as she listens to Quinn animatedly tell her all about her day on the drive home, knowing by the deep frown on the girl's face that her bad mood is going to be present for the rest of the night.

0-00-0

Shelby smiles as she helps Brittany out of the bath tub, wrapping a white fluffy towel around her and gently rubbing her hands up and down the girl's arms in an attempt to warm her up. She glances over at Santana who is sitting on a little stool in the corner of the bathroom, her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands, the girl looking downright miserable. One thing Santana hates more than a spanking is being made to follow Shelby all over the house just to sit in the corner of whichever room they are in, she hates it enough to almost regret pushing Quinn..almost. Shelby watches her out of the corner of her eye as she drains the tub, feeling bad about punishing her but knowing that she has to.

"Alright baby girl, let's get you some pajamas" Shelby smiles, kissing the tip of Brittany's nose, eliciting an adorable giggle from the girl. "Let's go Santana" she calls as she leads Brittany across the hall and into the toddler's pale pink bedroom. "Sit on the bed baby" the woman instructs Brittany kindly and turns to pull a pair of pajamas and a fresh pull-up from her chest of drawers, shaking her head when Santana drags the stool into the room and dumps it into the corner. "Santana, you're on the stool as a punishment, don't make it worse for yourself" she warns as the latina slumps down onto it, shooting Shelby a filthy look. "Okay, bath and then bed for you as soon as I'm done putting Brittany to bed" the woman informs her sternly.

"But Brittany's a baby...I'm a big girl" Santana complains, her eyes wide and full of crocodile tears, slouching down on the stool and pouting when she doesn't get the desired result from her Mama.

"Stand up for Mama" Shelby smiles to Brittany, bending down and helping her into her pull-up as the girl holds onto her shoulders for balance as she steps into it. She can't help but smile when the blonde girl lets out her exhaustion with a jaw cracking yawn, doubting she'd take very long to fall asleep tonight. "All done" she states lightly as she fastens the last button on Brittany's pajama top. "In you get baby girl" she murmurs, pulling back the duvet and helping her girl into bed. "What story would you like?" Shelby asks, not missing that Santana perks up at the thought of overhearing a story.

"No story...sleepy" Brittany mumbles causing Santana to sigh heavily. "Binky pwease?"

"Of course my sweet girl" Shelby replies with a tender smile, reaching across to the nightstand and grabbing Brittany's pacifier before slipping it into the blonde's mouth. "Santana, do you want to come say goodnight to your sister?" the woman asks and Santana nods, practically skipping over to the bed and kissing Brittany's cheek, causing Shelby to smile. She pulls the guard rail until she hears the loud click that signals it's in place and leans over to gently kiss Brittany's forehead. "Goodnight baby, I love you" she coos, making sure the girl's teddy bear is tucked in with her.

"Love you Mama" Brittany mumbles tiredly, her arm draping across her teddy as she rolls over.

"Let's go my little trouble maker" Shelby says quietly, taking Santana's hand and leading her out of the room, stopping to pick up the stool with her free hand as they leave.

_**To be continued... I wanted to make this a little longer but I ran out of steam and I really wanted to get something up tonight. Thank you for reading and please review :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for the incredible reviews for the last two chapters, you have no idea how glad I am that people seem to love this! Since you are all being awesome with your reviewing, I will do my best to update as frequently as I can. R&R please :)**_

Chapter 3

In Shelby's opinion, there is nothing more adorable than a grumpy Santana pouting in her bedroom on her stool in Batman pajamas. Her pleas to stay up just a little longer had fallen on deaf ears and she now has to go to bed a mere twenty minutes later than Brittany, something that only upsets her further. She's tempted to sneak downstairs when her Mama heads into the bathroom to clean up the puddles of water the latina had left behind after her bath but Shelby had caught her doing that in the past and had been furious with her. Luckily, Mama had brought Bugs inside from the car and had given him back to Santana after reminding the girl to look after her things better so she's not alone in the corner. The latina glares at Quinn as the older girl appears in the doorway, leaning against the frame and looking into the red bedroom with a smug smile on her face.

"Hi.._Sanny_...Mama says you're going to bed early tonight" she states in an overly sweet voice, clearly thrilled at having an oppurtunity to tease her sister. "Maybe she'll spank your butt" Quinn gasps, her eyes gleaming with amusement, amusement that ends when she feels Shelby's hand connect with her backside. Turning in surprise, she realises her Mama had heard everything.

"Apologise to your little sister and then go downstairs, you can help me with the washing up" Shelby states sternly, her hands on her hips as she stares the girl down. "Now, Quinn"

"Sorry Santana" Quinn grumbles, looking up at Shelby for approval and shuffling back downstairs after receiving a curt nod. Shelby sighs as she watches her eldest go, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Mama.. can I please stay up longer? I promise not to be naughty" Santana states in her most innocent voice, gazing at Shelby hopefully from her place in the corner and the woman feel's her heart ache as she shakes her head.

"No baby, I'm sorry but you're being punished" Shelby replies softly, moving to kneel down in front of her with her hands on Santana's knees. "It's okay to have days where you just feel grumpy but it's not okay to be mean to me or your sisters because of it. Mama doesn't like punishing you but I have to do it so that you know what happens when you misbehave" Shelby explains. "And I know that Quinn teases you and I'm gonna talk to her about that, okay?" The woman smiles gently when Santana nods and she lifts her hand to cup the girl's face, leaning up to kiss her cheek. "So, tonight you're going to bed early and then tomorrow is a fresh start. Now let's get you into bed little one" she murmurs, her heart almost melting at the pout on her little girl's face.

"I'm sorry Mama" Santana whispers as she takes Shelby's hand, the woman leading her to bed.

"I know you are baby girl" Shelby murmurs as she pulls back the duvet and sits down on the edge of the girl's bed. "Do you need a diaper?" she asks quietly so that Quinn can't overhear. Santana shakes her head no, a frown on her face and tears pulling in her dark eyes. "Don't be embarrassed sweetie, it's just you and me here. It's our secret" the woman murmurs soothingly.

"But I'm not a baby" Santana mumbles sadly.

"I know you're not. It doesn't make you a baby. Big girl Santana works really hard and she gets a little stressed out, having accidents at night time doesn't make you a baby, I promise" Shelby tells her sincerely, pulling Santana to her and guiding her onto her lap.

"I don't need one tonight" the latina tells her with a serious nod and Shelby chews on her bottom lip as she narrows her eyes at the girl. "Promise" Santana adds, the woman sighing softly..her girl is definitely stubborn, that's for sure.

"How about we put one on tonight and if it's dry in the morning then we can try not wearing tomorrow night" Shelby suggests, her fingers brushing Santana's long black hair away from her eyes. She watches as the latina contemplates this before nodding silently. "Good girl" she smiles, kissing the girl's temple and sliding her from her lap so she can stand up.

0-00-0

Quinn frowns as she dries the plate Shelby had handed to her, doing the washing up is one of the chores she hates the most. At least when she's tidying her room she can stop to fool around every now and then but washing up was something that Shelby always did with her which meant she was supervised. They had a dishwasher but every now and then, if she did something to displease her mama, she would have to help do them by hand.

"It wasn't very nice of you to try and get Santana into more trouble" Shelby states, breaking the silence in the room. "You know that she reacts badly to nicknames and doing that when she was already being punished is not very fair" she adds.

"I know Mama, I'm sorry" Quinn murmurs, hating the disappointment she hears in Shelby's voice. "It's just a name though" she adds, trying to defend herself, even though she knows she was wrong.

"Some people just don't like nicknames and I know you don't like it when people call you Quinny" Shelby explains lightly. She smirks when she notices the frown on Quinn's face, the blonde knows her mama is right. "Why don't you go pick a movie to watch? I'll finish up in here" Shelby tells her, rolling her eyes at just how quickly Quinn leaves the room, desperate to get away from the washing up. Sighing softly, she opens the dishwasher and loads all of the remaining dishes into it, wondering if Santana is asleep yet. She glances at the kitchen clock and notices it's only seven forty five, still thirty minutes until the latina's usual bedtime; no way is she asleep yet. Shelby walks into the hall and pokes her head into the livingroom where Quinn is still searching for a DVD to watch. "I'll be five minutes, honey" she tells her, smiling when the girl nods and smiles. The woman makes her way upstairs and quietly opens the door to Santana's bedroom, seeing the girl laying in bed and staring up at the ceiling.

"Sorry Mama, I can't sleep" Santana murmurs guiltily.

"That's okay, I didn't think you would be able to. You don't need to be sorry for not being able to sleep" Shelby replies softly, making her way over to the bed and slipping under the covers and testing her head on the headboard. She grins when Santana automatically curls into her, laying her head on her Mama's shoulder. Shelby sings quietly, an old lullaby that her mother used to sing to her when she was a child, patting the back of the girl's diaper softly as her voice soothes Santana.

"Te quiero" the girl murmurs as her eyelids grow heavy and she struggles to keep them open.

"I love you too, my sweet girl" Shelby responds tenderly, pressing a gentle kiss to Santana's temple. She stays with her until she hears the girl's breathing even out and she is sure her girl is asleep. Carefully, she slides out from the bed and places Bugs in Santana's arms before tenderly tucking the duvet around her and sneaking out of the room. She finds Quinn waiting on the sofa for her, the opening credits of Finding Nemo already playing and she sits down next to her, pulling a blanket down from the back of the sofa and covering them both as Quinn snuggles into her. Quinn being older and having a later bedtime definitely has it's advantages and Shelby definitely makes full use of having some time alone with the girl. Some days it can be hectic and she worries that she spends so much time running around after the younger girls that Quinn may feel left out. Spending time with her at night when it's quiet is one of her favourite parts of the day, it's Quinn's favourite too.

"Can we get a fish?" Quinn asks her mama sweetly. "Just a goldfish?"

"I don't see why not" Shelby smiles, "We could get one for each of you. Mama has to work tomorrow but we could maybe go pick them out on Sunday. Does that sound okay?" she asks softly.

"Yeah!" Quinn beams, leaning up to leave a sloppy kiss on Shelby's cheek and causing the woman to chuckle. "Thanks Mama"

"Anything for my girls" Shelby smiles, tightening her arm around Quinn in a gentle squeeze as the girl settles back down to watch the movie. It amazes her that even she still at the very least smiles at certain parts of the movie, even though she has watched it with her girls dozens of times. Santana would rarely watch it with them, claiming it was lame and asking to watch Spiderman or Batman instead and every single time she would receive the same answer; no. Adult Santana has a large collection of action and superhero movies but little Santana is far too young for most of them, something that would cause a mini tantrum everytime she was refused. Brittany and Quinn would watch pretty much the same movies in whichever mindset they were in, mostly Disney and other animated movies. As far as they are concerned the classic Disney movies are still the best around and Shelby has to agree. Shelby glances up at the clock and realises it's almost nine so she reaches for the remote and presses stop, Quinn immediately looking up at her as though she has just killed a puppy. "It's time to get ready for bed, babe" Shelby tells the girl quietly. "You can watch the rest tomorrow" she adds and Quinn nods, albeit with a small scowl on her face. "I'll be up in five minutes" Shelby states as the blonde sulkily leaves the room. No matter what time Quinn or Santana were sent to bed it was never good enough, Brittany is the only one who goes to bed without complaint. Shelby moves around the livingroom, picking up a few toys that were strewn about and putting them in their correct place before heading into the kitchen and opening a bottle of red wine to allow it to breathe. She heads upstairs and can hear that Quinn is still in the bathroom as she quietly opens the door to Brittany's bedroom and peaks inside, smiling at angelic sleeping blonde before silently closing the door again. The woman rolls her eyes as she checks on Santana, shaking her head in amusement at the mass of limbs and raven hair that she can see and she tip toes across the room to pull the duvet as far across the bed as she can to cover the arm and leg that hang over the edge of the mattress.

"Mama?" Shelby looks up to see Quinn standing in the doorway and she holds her finger to her lips to encourage the girl to be quiet, especially after how long she had spent helping Santana fall asleep in the first place. She smiles as she crosses the room and takes Quinn's hand while she gently closes the door behind them before leading her further down the hall to her own bedroom. It had taken a lot to have Quinn decide on a colour for her a bedroom and while Shelby isn't particulary fond of the colour, she had been pretty relieved when Quinn had finally decided on green, the white walls had just felt too bare.

"In you get, I'll put your night light on" Shelby smiles. The night light is another secret she has to keep, Santana and her secret night time accidents and Quinn's secret fear of the dark is something that worries Shelby. It's not the accidents or the fear that worries her, it's each girl's anxiety about keeping it secret from the other one that she doesn't like. It's something that she needs to deal with, and soon.

_**To be continued..**_

_**Thank you for reading, reviews are greatly appreciated :)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations**_

_**Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews for the last chapter, I'm thrilled that this is getting so many positive reviews!**_

_**I know a few of you would like me to take this story in a certain direction and/or are worried that I'm not including enough of a certain character but don't worry, I have this story completely planned out..it's only just beginning, have patience :)**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 4

Shelby stretches as she wakes up, the quiet thrum of music coming from the room next door telling her that she is waking up to teenage Quinn. Glancing at the clock next to her bed, she notices that it's a little after eight and realises that Quinn must have taken care of Brittany to allow her to sleep a little later as there is no way the girl is still sleeping. Brittany would usually throw herself onto Shelby's bed at a little after six, demanding loudly that she wake up and play so the woman is grateful that adult Quinn is already up for work. She can hear Quinn attempting to coax Santana out of bed, both little Santana and adult Santana are extremely attached to their bed in the morning and Shelby is glad that she doesn't need to fight that battle this morning.

"Good luck, Quinn" she mutters to herself with a smug smile as she rolls over and closes her eyes again, ready to grab another half hour of sleep before having to get up for work. She snuggles deeper into her pillows with a content sigh, the smile still present on her lips.

"Mama!" Shelby's smile fades as she hears Santana's panicked voice, realising instantly why the girl is yelling for her and she kicks the sheets away from her. "Mama!" Santana's desperate shout echoes along the hall as Shelby rushes out of her bedroom, pulling on her robe as she quickly makes her way to Santana's bedroom and pushes the door open. Too late. Her eyes widen slightly as she takes in the sight of Quinn holding Santana's duvet away from her, her hazel eyes surprised as she notices the bulge, that is obviously a diaper, in Santana's pajama bottoms.

"Mom?" Quinn questions softly, glancing at Shelby, unsure of what to do next, her hazel eyes wide and uncertain and a little bit scared about further upsetting Santana.

"Where's Brittany?" Shelby asks her, sending Quinn a look that tells her not to say anything about Santana and that she'll talk to her later. The blonde jerks her head in the direction of the latina's walk-in closet where Brittany is sitting on the floor and investigating the several dozen pairs of shoes that are scattered around it. "Can you grab her and go downstairs please?" Shelby asks her.

"I have to leave for work" Quinn responds apologetically and Shelby sighs softly with a nod. She watches as the teenager walks across to Brittany and bends down to kiss the girl's forehead. "I have to go to work but I'll see you tonight, princess" Quinn murmurs softly.

"Bye!" Brittany grins up at her, slightly lightening the mood in the room. Quinn meets Shelby's worried gaze as she stands up and sends the woman a small nod of reassurance as she makes her way back to Santana, the latina watching her warily with wide, watery eyes.

"See ya later, big girl" Quinn whispers, kissing Santana's tear stained cheek. "It's okay" she adds, so quietly that Shelby has to strain to hear it and she feels herself swell with pride. "I'll drop by during my lunch break" the blonde tells Shelby as she kisses her cheek.

"Okay honey, have a good day" Shelby smiles, waiting until she hears Quinn descend the stairs before moving forward and sitting next to Santana on her bed, the visibly upset girl climbing onto her Mama's lap and burying her face in the woman's chest. "You're okay baby girl" Shelby soothes, gently rubbing the girl's back and hugging her close. "You heard her..it's okay" she adds softly.

"B..B..But now Quinn knows" Santana sobs into her soft, white robe and Shelby realises that Santana isn't referring to teenage Quinn but to little Quinn, little Quinn who has a fear of the dark and she knows what she has to do.

"Tonight, we're all going to have a little family meeting after dinner. It's okay that your sister knows, I promise" Shelby states reassuringly. "But right now, I need big girl Santana to start getting ready for work" she adds regretfully, wishing she had more time to talk to her little girl right now. She makes up her mind to talk to Quinn when she stops by at lunch, knowing it's big thing that she's going to ask her to do but also knowing it will be better for both girls in the end.

0-00-0

Brittany sighs softly, her elbows on the wooden desk and her head in her hands as she stares at the open chemistry book in front of her. She has ten minutes or so until Shelby's client is due and at Shelby's encouragement, she is squeezing in as much studying as she can whenever it is possible. Brittany had been keeping to her promise and had been taking senior year seriously this time round. Not graduating with Santana and Quinn hadn't been much of a surprise to her but it had still been a shock to the system. Sitting next to Tina in Spanish is okay but she misses Santana and the cute little notes she would slide to her. Of course, Santana still helps her with the subject, always more than happy to sit at the kitchen table and help her with her homework but it's not the same and she sometimes feels angry with herself for not taking the school year seriously the first time.

"How's it going Britt?" Shelby asks as she steps into the reception area, tying her hair back as she walks, a sure sign that her next client will be role-playing as a very young child and is a hair puller. Shelby does not appreciate having her hair pulled, something little Brittany learned very quickly.

"Sometimes I wish I was little Brittany all the time" the girl murmurs softly, her baby blue eyes remaining fixed to her textbook. Shelby smiles gently and pulls the client chair out from underneath the desk, sitting down opposite Brittany and watching her carefully. "I'm such an idiot" the blonde groans.

"Hey! You are most definitely not an idiot!" Shelby tells her sharply before softening her tone, "You made some bad choices that came back to bite you in the you-know-where but you're not an idiot. An idiot would not be working so hard to do better. Don't put yourself down, you're not so grown up that you can't be put over my knee" she warns, her tone is light but Brittany knows she is serious. It's extremely rare for Shelby to punish either of them while they are in their grown-up state of mind, in fact it had only once; when Santana freaked out the first time she found out Quinn came to Shelby as a client as well as them.

"I'm sorry" Brittany murmurs, her bright blue eyes bashful and a small blush spreading up her neck and across her cheeks.

"Don't apologise. I just wish you could see the girl that we all see. Teenage Brittany is just as firmly in my heart as little Brittany is and I can confidently speak for Quinn and Santana when I say that they feel the same way. You are an incredible young woman and I am so proud to view you as my daughter..both Brittanys" Shelby states passionately as she leans across the desk to cup the girl's face in her hand. "I know for certain that if you continue to try your best, you will be graduating at the end of the year and there will be three very proud women watching in the audience when you are handed that diploma" she adds with a tender smile.

"Thanks Mom" Brittany beams, happily accepting the kiss on the cheek Shelby offers her.

"Anytime, my girl" Shelby winks, sighing when their moment is interrupted by the ringing of the office doorbell. "You alright?" she asks as she stands up.

"Yeah, go do what you need to do" Brittany nods. She watches as Shelby crosses the reception and opens the door to allow a middle aged, balding man in a suit into the building. Brittany frowns as her eyes follow them into Shelby's office, still unable to swallow the jealousy she feels about having to share her Mama with anyone other than Santana and Quinn, even after the many months she has spent helping out here. She knows that Shelby's clients don't mean anything to her, that it is just a business transaction but that's how it was with them when they first started seeing her and she worries that their family may get bigger. Brittany doesn't like the thought of anyone joining them, in her opinion their family is perfect just the way it is.

0-00-0

"Santana! Dinner's ready, I will not tell you again young lady" Shelby calls up the stairs, shaking her head in irritation at the girl's inability to complete a request the first time she is given it when she is playing with her toys. She listens carefully, hearing Santana's quick footsteps a moment later and she smiles when the girl comes into view at the top of the staircase wearing denim overalls with a white long sleeved t'shirt underneath and a red cape. "Walk please, no running" the woman chastises gently, unable to stay annoyed at the girl for very long.

"Sorry Mama" Santana tells her cutely with a sheepish grin. "I was saving the planet" she adds seriously and Shelby chuckles.

"Well then my little superhero, you must be hungry so let's go" Shelby states, sending her in the direction of the kitchen with a playful swat to her backside. She almost walks into Santana as the girl stops dead in the doorway to the kitchen, her dark eyes wide as she gazes at Quinn. "It's okay babe, go sit down" Shelby murmurs, running her hand through th girl's long, jet black hair.

"Sit here" Quinn tells her, tapping her hand on the chair next to her and Santana shuffles uncertainly over to her, sliding onto the chair and looking at Quinn with her brow furrowed in confusion. "I have a night light" the blonde states matter of factly.

"You do?" Santana asks, her mouth making a perfect 'O' as she stares at her big sister in surprise.

"Uh huh" Quinn nods, "I need it at night just like you need your diaper at night..we're still awesome" she adds. Shelby smiles as she straps Brittany into her specially made high chair, listening silently as the other girls talk, feeling so proud of Quinn for the second time today. She had been surprised when she first asked Quinn if it would be okay for little Quinn to tell Santana about her night light but the girl had agreed immediately. Quinn's anxiety about her night light isn't as strong now that she knows Santana needs extra help at night too, it may be for different reasons but it still helps to know you're not the only one.

"Happy" Brittany states with a crooked grin while Shelby attaches the velcro tabs of the girl's bib together. Shelby follows the girl's eyes and watches as Santana giggles at something Quinn is whispering to her, no doubt cooking up a masterplan to cause trouble.

"Yeah babygirl, they're happy" Shelby smiles warmly, kissing the tip of Brittany's nose before moving to sit in her own seat.

"Mama! Quinn's gonna help me save the planet again after dinner" Santana tells her excitedly. "And Brittany can play too! She can be the diamond in digress!" she adds, a little louder than necessary but Shelby doesn't have the heart to ask her to be quieter.

"It's damsel in distress, sweetheart" Shelby corrects kindly, a genuine smile spreading across her face as she looks at the smiles on all three of her girls' faces.

"Yeah, she can be that too!" the little latina exclaims before shovelling far too much pasta into her mouth and causing Quinn to wrinkle her nose in disgust. She doesn't like to admit it but, as much of a goof as she is, Santana's a cool little sister to have...sometimes.

_**To be continued...**_

_**Thank you for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated :)**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you very much for all the reviews and thank you to everyone who has this on alert!**_

_**I'd just like to remind you that Rachel will not be in this story at all, She and Shelby have never met in this universe due to the fact that Shelby has never worked with any school or showschoir and having them meet for the first time in this story would just be going completely off point. Plus I just don't want Rachel in this story ;)**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 5

Shelby can't keep the smile from her face as she watches her girls crowd around their new fish tank, each girl claiming to have the best fish. Santana had chosen a black and gold fish that she has since named Bruce Parker, a mash up of Batman and Spiderman's names. Brittany had chosen a small silver fish, she had pointed at it and named it 'Fishy' and refused to listen to any other suggestions. Quinn, however, is having trouble deciding on a name for her simple goldfish. She had shot down several name suggestions from Santana, which Shelby can understand, the little Latina doesn't seem to understand that her sister doesn't want to name her goldfish after a superhero.

"Boring!" Brittany announces suddenly and she turns to face Shelby with a perplexed look on her face, as though she had expected Fishy to do more than swim; she probably had.

"Bruce isn't boring" Santana insists despite she herself looking bored. "He's just sleepy" she adds. Shelby smiles tenderly at her girls as she moves to stand behind them and peers into the tank before placing the lid on.

"When it's time to feed them, you just lift this little hatch and drop the food in" Shelby explains, lifting the hatch to demonstrate. "Not too much food though,you just pinch a little food between your thumb and this finger" she adds, holding out her forefinger.

"I feed them?" Brittany asks softly.

"Not yet baby, they just had some but you can feed them next time" Shelby smiles. "You can all take turns" she adds quickly when she notices Santana about to argue with her. "Now, Aunt Holly will be here soon and she's bringing a little friend for you guys to play with so we need to have a little talk. I want you guys to be on your best behaviour and to remember to share your toys" Shelby states, looking at Santana pointedly when she says the latter. "I will be very disappointed if you don't make them feel welcome" she adds firmly.

"We know Mama, we'll be perfect hosts" Quinn states confidently, causing Shelby to smile.

"Glad to hear it" the woman responds. "Why don't you go make sure the livingroom is tidy, and take Brittany with you. You guys can watch a movie when you're done" she suggests to Quinn, glad that the girl doesn't argue and wanders out of the kitchen whilst holding Brittany's hand. "Keep an eye on your sister!" she calls after her before turning her attention to Santana. She takes in the girl's appearance with a smirk, shaking her head at the vest and panties the Latina is wearing with, of course, her cape dangling from around her neck. "First of all, where did you leave your pants?" she questions, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "And your socks?" Shelby adds with an eye roll.

"I think they're outside" Santana shrugs. "Can I go play now?" she asks urgently.

"Not yet. You need a bath, I have no idea how you managed to get so filthy..you were only outside for ten minutes" Shelby chastises lightly. "Go upstairs and get undressed, I'll be up in a few minutes" she tells her. She watches her sulkily leave the kitchen before walking out into the backyard and picking Santana's clothes up from the patio. Sure, it's hotter than usual for October but Shelby really doesn't think it's hot enough to strip off, not that Santana ever really needed a reason. She's a little worried about her girls meeting the girl Holly is bringing over this afternoon. Shelby has never met the girl as she has never been a client of their business, she is someone from Holly's personal life; Holly had mentioned her name was Sugar but hadn't said much else. She hopes Santana will get along with Sugar, her girl didn't much like to share and while Brittany and Quinn liked meeting new people, Santana is always a little guarded. "Quinn, I'm gonna give Santana a bath, I'll be just upstairs if you need me" she tells her eldest as her pokes her head into the livingroom, pleased that it's tidy.

"We'll be fine Mama" Quinn smiles from her place on the sofa next to Brittany who doesn't even look away from the screen, her blue eyes entranced by the movie and her pacifier dangling from her lips.

"Good. I won't be long" Shelby smiles, turning away from the livingroom and heading upstairs to the bathroom. She sits on the edge of the tub and turns the tap on, pouring strawberry bubblebath into the water and swishing it around as she waits for the tub to fill up. The woman frowns when she hears muffled thumps coming from Santana's room and she turns the water off and listens carefully. "What on earth is that girl doing?" she wonders out loud as she heads to the girl's room and looks in, sighing in exasperation when she spots Santana's backside sticking out from underneath her bed as she throws random toys behind her. "Santana Lopez, what are you doing?" Shelby asks sharply, looking around at the array of toys spread around on the carpet, noticing that Santana jerks in surprise and bumps her head.

"Ow! Mama you scared me!" Santana scolds as she emerges from underneath her bed, rubbing the top of her head. "I can't find AquaMan" she adds with a frown.

"You don't need him, it's just a quick bath to get you cleaned up. We don't have time to play, aunt Holly will be here soon. Now, come on Santana, I told you to get undressed. Come here" Shelby states, checking her watch and sighing when she realises she only has twenty minutes to get Santana ready for their guests.

"Baths suck" Santana groans as she shuffles over to her Mama, still rubbing her head.

"Let me see" Shelby clucks, gently grasping the girl's arm and pulling her closer to her. She moves Santana's hand away from her head and carefully feels her scalp while she examines her. "There's no bump, you're fine" the woman states, knowing that Santana is just overreacting to get out of going in the bath. Shelby rolls her eyes and tugs on the bottom of Santana's vest, the girl complying and lifting her arms so that her Mama can slide it off. "Next time I tell you to get undressed, you do it" the woman tells her firmly.

"I started!" the latina defends herself, pointing to her cape that is lying on her bed as Shelby pulls her underwear down, the girl automatically stepping out of them. "See?"

"Next time you can finish" Shelby murmurs, taking her hand and leading her into the bathroom. "In you get" she directs the girl, only letting go of her once she is sitting in the warm water. "Alright" she begins as she helps her little girl to wash the dirt from the backyard off her body, "Once you're dressed, you're going to tidy up all the mess you just made in your bedroom and then you can come downstairs to play. I'll help you but you need to do some of it as well" Shelby tells her as she quickly but gently scrubs her body.

"Yes Mama" Santana sighs, knowing she'd never get away with asking to do it later instead. They both look to the door when Quinn and Brittany shuffle into it, Quinn holding her little sister's hand as the girl sniffles softly.

"Brittany's wet" Quinn murmurs, surprising Shelby. Brittany would usually tell her when she needed to use the bathroom, she hardly ever wet her pull-up during the day.

"Alright, it's okay baby girl. Mama's gonna get you cleaned up" Shelby murmurs calmly, reaching over and pulling the plug out of the tub before grabbing the large, white fluffy towel from the rail and holding it out for Santana to step into. She helps the latina out of the tub and turns to Quinn, "Can you take Brittany into my room, I'll be there in a few minutes, I'm just gonna help Santana, okay?" Shelby smiles gratefully at her oldest as Quinn leads Brittany out of the bathroom. The woman quickly ushers Santana into her bedroom and heads into her closet, grabbing clothes for the latina to wear and laying them on the girl's bed. "Ok big girl, you get dressed and then get started on cleaning this mess up. I'll come and help you as soon as I'm done with Brittany" Shelby states, rushing back out of Santana's room and along the hall to her own bedroom.

"Do you need help Mama?" Quinn asks, noticing that her Mama looks a little frazzled.

"Uh..Yeah, could you go make sure that Santana actually puts all of her clothes on please Babe? Just call me if she gives you any problems" Shelby responds, kissing Quinn's forehead. "Are you okay little one?" she asks Brittany, looking down at the girl sitting on the floor as she grabs a pull-up from her dresser.

"Diapee" Brittany murmurs and Shelby kneels down to her level with a look of concern. "I want diapee" Brittany repeats, pointing over to the box where Shelby keeps some spare diapers.

"You want a diaper baby girl? It's okay..you don't need to wear one, it's just a little accident..you can still wear a pull-up" Shelby murmurs soothingly.

"NO! Diapee!" the girl yells, throwing her pacifier across the room and it bounces off the wall.

"Hey! First of all, you do not yell at Mama and second, you do not throw things" the woman scolds.

"Sowwy Mama" Brittany whispers, her blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"It's okay" Shelby mutters, frowning as she stands up to retrieve the pacifier. Brittany hadn't worn a diaper in a long time and her speaking was usually so much better than it is right now and she certainly hadn't had a tantrum in a long time either. She stays silent as she grabs a diaper and sits down in front of Brittany, the girl instantly laying back so that her Mama can easily slide the pull-up off. Her tears disappear as Shelby lifts her hips to slide the diaper underneath her after wiping her with a wet wipe, not noticing the curious way in which Shelby is watching her.

0-00-0

Santana scowls as she watches Sugar play with her cape, she is using it all wrong..it's not a flag, it's a cape! She's glad that she's five because four year olds are dumb if they don't know how to use her cape, why does she even have to share it anyway? The latina glances at her Mama who is sitting on the sofa and talking to aunt Holly while they drink coffee, why hasn't her Mama told Sugar she's doing it wrong? Santana snatches it from Sugar's hands and places it behind her, the other girl immediately frowning at her.

"Santana! We don't snatch, let Sugar play with your cape" Shelby scolds. "You get to play with it all the time, give it back" she adds firmly and Santana sighs heavily as she hands it back to Sugar. "Now apologise for snatching" Shelby coaches her with a pointed look.

"Sorry" the girl grumbles and Shelby watches her for a few moments before turning her attention back to Holly.

"So, Should I be worried?" She asks her friend and business partner quietly, making sure none of the girls are in earshot.

"I don't think so, I mean we see it with our clients all the time. Sometimes they just want to be a little younger, maybe Brittany just likes the security of wearing diapers" Holly shrugs.

"But it's not just that, she's talking and acting younger altogether" Shelby argues, "I don't mind at all, if she's more comfortable being as young as she used to be then I'm one hundred percent alright with it, I just feel like I'm missing something" she adds softly.

"Well..she was at the office yesterday..you've told me before that your girls get jealous of your clients and if she saw you taking a client into the room yesterday then she could easily just be asking you for more attention. Your best bet is to just give her it, she asked for a diaper so she'll most likely ask for a pull-up when she wants to use them again" Holly explains carefully. Shelby catches her bottom lip with her teeth as she glances over at Brittany who is playing with her blocks while Quinn helps her, the older girl most likely avoiding the train wreck that will undoubtedly be Santana and Sugar playing together.

"I think you're right" the woman sighs.

"Just keep doing what you're doing, they know you love them as a mother in every way. Jealousy is always going to be there when you're a child, you're clearly doing everything right so I wouldn't worry about it. Adult Brittany always comes to you when there's an actual problem, they all do" the blonde woman says kindly, placing a comforting hand on her friend's arm.

"Thank you" Shelby murmurs with a smile. Her smile widens as she meets Brittany's baby blue gaze, the girl grinning cutely at her before going back to her blocks. "Santana, why don't you show Sugar your new pets" she suggests, noticing the deep scowl on the little latina's face as the girl watches Sugar waving her cape around. Santana nods stiffly and walks to the kitchen, Sugar following her when Holly nods her encouragement.

"Our Mama got us them this morning" Santana informs the other girl grumpily, shoving her hands deep into the pockets of her sweatpants. "My one is the coolest" she states, pointing her one out to Sugar. "His name is Bruce Parker" the latina adds.

"That's a stupid name" Sugar giggles. "Fish aren't real pets..they don't do anything" she adds, tapping her finger against the glass.

"You can't say that word" Santana tells her confidently. "It's not nice, my Mama says we shouldn't say it"

"But they are stupid, you're stupid too!" the girl snaps, pointing at Santana's Superman t'shirt and the latina gapes at her. She pushes the girl roughly and Sugar lands on her butt on the kitchen floor, crying out loudly and causing Shelby and Holly to come rushing into the kitchen. "She pushed me!" Sugar wails as Holly takes her into her arms.

"Santana Lopez! Is that true?" Shelby demands and Santana doesn't say anything, instead just crosses her arms over her chest and glares at the floor. "Do not ignore me, young lady. Did you push Sugar?"

"She called Bruce stupid and she called me stupid too!" Santana protests loudly, faltering when she notices her Mama's raised eyebrow.

"That's no reason to push someone" Shelby tells her sternly. "Apologise to Sugar for pushing her" she adds. Santana shakes her head and refuses to look at anyone, her dark eyes filled with hot, angry tears. "Santana, you can apologise to Sugar right now or you can go upstairs for a nap with a sore bottom" the woman threatens lowly, just for Santana to hear. She waits a few moments but the latina shows no sign of being even close to apologising. "Alright, have it your way little girl. Holly, I'll be right back" Shelby states, taking Santana's hand and walking her towards the stairs. The latina tries to struggle out of her Mama's grasp, the firm smack to her backside that she receives putting a halt to her struggling.

"It's not fair Mama, she said stupid...we're not allowed to say it!...Mama, this is your room" Santana pleads as Shelby gently guides her into her bedroom, Santana would sneak out of bed to play with her toys if Shelby put her in her own bedroom.

"I warned you what would happen if you didn't apologise and you haven't been very nice to Sugar since she and Aunt Holly got here" Shelby scolds as she turns the girl around to pull her hair tie out. "Take your sweatpants off, you'll be too hot if you wear them in bed" she states, waiting until the girl lays them on the bottom of the bed before sitting down on the straight backed chair in the corner of the room and motioning for the girl to come towards her. "Santana Marie Lopez, come here" Shelby orders sternly.

"Mama..I don't want a spanking" Santana murmurs but still obeys her Mama and steps towards her.

"You are getting one baby. Do you know why?" the woman asks her softly.

"Because I wasn't nice to Sugar and I pushed her" the sad latina whispers. "And I didn't say sorry"

"That's right. After I've spanked you, you're going to have a nap and when you come back downstairs you will apologise to Sugar. After that, it's a fresh start, alright?" Santana nods in response and Shelby studies her face to make sure that the girl understands before grasping her wrist and guiding her across her lap. She does't waste any time and starts to spank the girl over her panties straight away, alternating sides as she lays down medium smacks while counting out thirty seconds in her head. Santana whimpers softly when she feels Shelby's fingers hook into the waistband of her underwear, the woman pulling them down to Santana's knees. Shelby looks down at the pink skin of her daughter's bottom before leaving six hard spanks, three on each sit spot, on the tender skin. She gently rubs the warm flesh as the girl cries over her knees. "You took your spanking very well sweetheart, I'm very proud of you" she murmurs soothingly, waiting until Santana's sobs die down to sniffles before helping her to stand up.

"I'm sorry Mama" Santana whimpers as she takes comfort in Shelby's arms, burying her face into the woman's cashmere sweater while Shelby rubs her back softly.

"I know you are baby, it's okay..I'm here" Shelby responds kindly, holding her for a few minutes before leading her across to her big double bed and helping her to climb in. "Mama loves you very much" she whispers while tucking the duvet around her daughter. "Have a good nap my big girl" she adds.

"I love you too, Mama" Santana replies softly as Shelby perches on the edge of the bed, waiting until she is sure the latina is asleep before tip-toeing from the room.

_**To be continued..**_

_**Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review if you did :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you all so much for your reviews!**_

_**I know a few of you were worried that Sugar wasn't in trouble but that's not the case at all, I just thought the last chapter ended nicely with Santana and Shelby. :)**_

_**Big thanks to **__**sdmwd1115 for her help for this chapter!**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 6

Quinn frowns as she comes out of the bathroom, overhearing Santana's spanking and her little sister's cries. Even when one of her sisters earn a spanking by doing something that really annoys her she doesn't like hearing them cry, it's even worse when it's nothing to do with her. She walks downstairs, knowing Santana would be even more upset if she found out that Quinn had heard everything and heads to the kitchen, finding Sugar standing in the corner and crying softly. Quinn can't help but feel satisfied when she notices the girl rub her backside and she silently takes a bottle of water from the refrigerator with a small, smug smile playing on her lips. The girl walks back into the livingroom where her Aunt Holly is sitting on the floor and playing with Brittany, the young blonde looking thrilled with the attention she's getting. She slumps down onto the sofa and flicks through the channels even though her Mama would think that she is being rude by doing so. Quinn figures that it's more rude to spank your child when you have visitors than it is to watch TV, especially when the guests are busy doing other things.

"Quinn!" the girl looks over at Brittany when she hears her shout, "No!" Brittany states loudly, pointing at the TV and Holly chuckles.

"Looks like you've been busted chica!" Holly grins and Quinn rolls her eyes, turning the TV off an throwing the remote down onto the sofa cushion. "You don't need to take an attitude" her Aunt Holly informs her, no longer smiling and the girl huffs. It's not fair for Aunt Holly to scold her when her Mama is home, that's her Mama's job. She doesn't mind it when her aunt is looking after them but she isn't today, she's a guest.

"I'm going upstairs" Quinn mutters and starts walking from the room as Shelby walks into the livingroom, the woman shaking her head firmly and gently guiding Quinn back to the sofa with her, sitting next to her and placing her arm around the girl.

"We have guests, babe" Shelby murmurs before looking across at Holly. "I'm sorry about that, I thought Santana was over her violent tendencies" she explains aplogetically and Holly waves her off.

"It was two sided" Holly shrugs. "That reminds me, I better get Sugar out of time out" she adds before playfully ruffling Brittany's hair and leaving the room. Quinn sighs heavily and leans into Shelby's side, the woman hugging her close and looking down at her in concern.

"You okay honey?" Shelby asks, pecking the girl's cheek.

"Yeah Mama, I'm fine. Can you ask Aunt Holly to go home?" Quinn asks quietly, causing Shelby's eyebrows to shoot upwards in surprise. "I just want it to be family..us" she adds softly.

"Baby, you love your aunt Holly. So do your sisters and you guys don't get to see her that much, I thought you would be happy to see her" Shelby states in confusion.

"I do love Aunt Holly and so do Britt and Santana but Santana's in bed so she doesn't get to see her for very long anyway and she'll be sad so I want it to be just us. Sugar will just make Santana mad again" the blonde murmurs softly. Shelby is hit with sudden realisation, it's not Holly that is the problem, it's Sugar.

"Santana's only going to be in bed for a little while and both she and Sugar have been punished so I don't think there's going to be any more problems. Aunt Holly is my friend and I like seeing her, we don't get to talk much at work and she has a little girl now too so you guys need to all learn to get along" Shelby tells her firmly yet gently. "They're not going to be here late, they're staying for dinner and then going home before Sugar's bedtime. After that, I have a big surprise for you and your sisters so I'm hoping that will encourage you to be a good host" the woman adds with a small smile.

"But I don't want Sugar here" Quinn argues, the smile falling from Shelby's face as she gazes at her oldest sternly.

"Sugar is our guest and you better treat her as such, young lady. I had hoped I would only be sending one of my girls to bed with a sore bottom today so I hope you behave yourself" Shelby warns her, not missing the dark look in the girl's emerald and gold eyes. "I know you don't like it when Santana cries but she was being punished sweetheart. I don't like that you're so mad but I have to admit that this is still better than you teasing her" the woman tells her. "Although it's still not okay to be so rude" she adds quickly, not wanting her girl to get the wrong idea. "Tell you what, when it's time to wake Santana up, you can do it. That way you can hug her and remind her that she has an awesome big sister, does that sound alright?" Shelby asks.

"Yeah, thanks Mama" Quinn nods, her eyes narrowing slightly as her Aunt Holly walks back into the room, followed by Sugar who frowns at her. Quinn really doesn't like her, she's the only one who can be mean to Santana, she's her sister...she's supposed to.

0-00-0

Quinn climbs carefully onto her Mama's bed and sits next to Santana, feeling bad for the latina when she notices she is laying on her stomach. Spankings suck! She carefully rubs her sister's back, she had seen her Mama wake Santana like that before, and she uses her other hand to move her jet black hair away from her face.

"Wake up, sleepy head" Quinn coos, tickling her sister's ear and giggling when Santana swipes at her hand. "Mama says you can get up now" she adds and the latina groans sleepily. "Are you okay?" the blonde asks seriously.

"My butt hurts" Santana whines with an adorable pout as she rolls into Quinn and lays her head on her big sister's lap. "I don't like Sugar" she adds sadly.

"Me neither but she got spanked too" Quinn responds, knowing it will cheer the girl up slightly to know that her new arch nemesis got punished as well. "And she had to stand in the corner for ages..that's much worse that going for a nap" she states matter of factly.

"Really?" Santana asks with a small smile, her smile widening when her sister nods. "Is she still here?"

"Yeah. Mama says she and Aunt Holly are staying for dinner but she's got a surprise for us after they go!" Quinn tells her with an almost manic grin, surprises are awesome! "C'mon, I won't let Sugar annoy you...promise" Quinn sincerely adds as she clambers off of the bed and holds her hand out to the latina. She grabs Santana's sweatpants from the bottom as the girl sits uncomfortably on the edge of the mattress and helps her into them. "If you get mad then come play with me"

"Thank you" Santana whispers, throwing her arms around Quinn's neck. "I'm glad you're my sister" she adds softly. Quinn grins at her and takes her hand, leading her from their Mama's bedroom and downstairs, both of them frowning when they see Sugar sitting on the couch with Shelby and Brittany. At least their baby sister is sitting in the middle. "I'm sorry for pushing you" Santana tells Sugar softly while Shelby smiles proudly at her.

"It really hurt!" Sugar exaggerates, not willing to actually accept the apology. Shelby holds her arms out to Santana with a nod, telling her that she's done what she needed to and the latina shuffles over and sits on her Mama's lap and snuggles into her arms.

"Good girl" Shelby murmurs as she presses a tender kiss to Santana's temple and tightens her arms around the girl's waist.

"Where's Aunt Holly?" Santana asks quietly as Brittany plays with her hair and offers her sister her pacifier, looking slightly put out when Santana shakes her head no.

"She's getting something from her car. How are you feeling?" Shelby asks softly. "Does your bottom still hurt, baby girl?" she questions in a whisper, pouting sympathetically when the girl nods sadly. "It'll feel better soon" the woman reassures her, gently rubbing the side of the girl's backside as she looks down at Quinn who is sitting on the floor next to her legs and side-eyeing Sugar. Shelby smiles softly at the girl's protectiveness of her sister but at the same time, hopes it's not going to be the cause of any trouble.

"I put the leaflets on the table" Holly states as she walks back into the room, motioning towards the front hall.

"Thanks" Shelby smiles as her friend sits down on one of the armchairs. "You want to help Mama make dinner?" she asks Santana, chuckling when she gets the response she expected, a frantic shake of her head and a frown, Santana doesn't like cooking. Adult Santana doesn't like to cook either and Shelby is convinced that the teenager would live on microwave meals and take-out if it weren't for her and the girls. Hell, adult Santana wouldn't even get out of bed until noon if it weren't for them, something which isn't good considering she needs to be at college for nine. "Quinn, did you empty the dishwasher like you were supposed to?" she asks.

"Sorry Mama, I forgot" Quinn grimaces and Shelby sighs softly, Quinn had been forgetting about the few chores she did have quite a lot recently.

"Well go do it now please" Shelby states calmly, watching as the blonde scurries out of the livingroom. "Are you staying in here or do you want to come draw at the kitchen table?" the woman asks Santana quietly, knowing her girl liked to be near her after a punishment and also thinking it is best to keep Santana and Sugar seperated for the time being.

"I'll come with you" Santana replies softly. "Brittany, are you coming to the kitchen?" she asks her younger sister kindly, the young blonde shaking her head and pointing at their Aunt Holly.

"Read?"

"Of course I'll read to you, chica! Come on over" Holly grins, patting her lap and smiling wider as Brittany slides off the sofa and rushes over to her, clambering onto the woman's knee. "Sugar? Are you coming over babe?" she asks and Sugar shakes her head no before wandering over to the toys that she had dragged out of the toy chest earlier. Shelby smiles as she gazes over at her youngest, the smile on her angelic face warming the woman's heart. She can only imagine the smile the girl would wear when she's hears the surprise she has for them.

_**To be continued..**_

_**Thank you for reading, reviews are greatly appreciated :)**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for the great reviews for the last chapter, they are hugely appreciated!**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 7

Quinn watches curiously as Shelby joins them at the kitchen table after saying goodbye to Holly and Sugar, her gaze zoning in on the leaflets in her Mama's hands. She glances at Santana and holds back a giggle at the sight of the girl leaning up on her knees as she cranes her neck to see what is on the leaflets. Although, Quinn has a suspicion that Santana doesn't want to sit on her butt just yet either and she doesn't blame her.

"Are you guys ready for your surprise?" Shelby asks with a smile, chuckling at the eager chorus of 'yes' that she recieves in response from all three of her girls. "Well..how do you guys feel about going on vacation?" the woman questions. "Aunt Holly told me about a place for families just like us, it's in Florida and I thought it would be nice for us to go there" she explains.

"Yes!" Brittany exclaims loudly, her baby blue eyes twinkling as she claps her hands excitedly, causing Shelby to beam at her brightly.

"Can I take my cape?" Santana asks cautiously, her deep brown eyes narrowed slightly, the cape going with her is clearly the deciding factor and Quinn rolls her eyes at her sister.

"Yes, baby girl, you can take your cape. Quinn, what do you think?" Shelby asks, reminding herself to have a chat with the adult girls before she actually books anything.

"Is it just us? Are Aunt Holly and Sugar going?" the blonde asks quietly, her face unreadable.

"It's just gonna be us, a family vacation" Shelby smiles, noticing the relief on her eldest's face and realising just how much two of her girls dislike Sugar, something that is going to be a problem since Sugar's Mommy is Shelby's best friend. "There's lots of activities for us to do, it's going to be really fun" she adds, looking around at the bright smiles on all three of their faces.

"Go now?" Brittany asks, wriggling desperately and attempting to unclip the straps on her high chair.

"No baby, not now but very soon!" Shelby grins.

0-00-0

Shelby smiles to herself as she pulls the clothes from the dryer and starts folding them neatly on top of the counter. She had been thrilled that her girls were so excited about going on vacation, it has been something she's been thinking about for a while. She did, however, wish that she had woken up before the girls all left for school and college this morning but she had shut her alarm off when her only client for today had called and cancelled late last night and it had been almost ten when she did eventually wake up.

"Hey" Shelby jumps in surprise when she hears Santana's voice and she whips around to face the smirking teenager. "Sorry, Mom" the latina states, her dark eyes shining with amusement.

"How come you're home so early?" Shelby asks her, knowing from the girl's use of the word 'mom' that she's talking to adult Santana. "It's only a little after one"

"My professor didn't turn up, a family emergency or something" Santana shrugs. "You want some help?" she asks and Shelby instantly knows the the girl needs to talk to her, Santana would always help out with a chore while talking to her. The latina prefers to avoid sitting and chatting quietly, it means eye contact and people being able to read her emotions and it's a habit that she has yet to break. Shelby can guess by the slightly uncertain look in Santana's eyes that she has been nominated by the other girls to ask about something they are intrigued about and she casually turns back to the clothes.

"Sure. Why don't you seperate your two sets of clothes" the Shelby suggests. Santana nods and steps closer, working side by side with Shelby while the woman waits patiently for the latina to speak.

"So..Quinn, Britt and me were talking about the vacation this morning" Santana begins, her eyes locked onto the clothes she is seperating and folding.

"Quinn, Britt and I"

"What?"

"It's Quinn, Britt and I" Shelby explains lightly, chuckling that, even at nineteen years old, Santana needs to be reminded of this.

"Right..yeah, Quinn, Britt _and I_ were talking about the vacation" Santana states with a roll of her dark eyes. "We read over the leaflets when we had breakfast, it's in Florida?" she double checks.

"Yeah, Jacksonville. Holly has been before and a few of my clients have as well. It's completely out of the way and other people just assume it's one of those places where the rich and famous go to get out of the public eye, an expensive retreat. It's very private and the only other people there are people involved in age play" Shelby tells her softly. "Are you guys worried about it? We don't have to go, I won't be upset if you guys aren't up for it" she adds genuinely.

"No it's not that. We really do want to go and you know that our younger selves do too, I guess we just want to know how we'd do it. Quinn isn't exactly a huge fan of flying" Santana says. "Would we be teenagers while travelling or..not?" she asks awkwardly.

"That is completely your decision" Shelby states sincerely. "Whatever you guys are comfortable doing. "I was thinking we'd drive, it takes around fifteen hours so we'd have to leave early. That way you have a choice because if we fly then there are restrictions on how you girls act" the woman explains. "I'd drive, of course, and I was thinking to drive halfway and then stop in a motel before finishing the journey the next day? Nobody wants to sit in a car for fifteen consecutive hours, no matter what age they are"

"I'd say that sounds good" Santana nods, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket and holding it to her ear. "Did you get all that?" she asks, leaving the room with a mischievous grin while Shelby shakes her head in amusement and disbelief. She follows after her with an armful of Santana's clothes, the ones Santana left behind when she left the room, and finds her in the livingroom. "Quinn said hey" the latina smirks from her place on the sofa, the smirk falling from her face as Shelby dumps the pile of clothes onto her lap.

0-00-0

Quinn sighs as she drops onto the sofa, neither of her sisters looking up from their toys at the girl's arrival, something that Quinn is used to. She watches curiously as Brittany builds a tower with her blocks and turns to face Santana expectantly, the latina grinning and knocking the towel over while Brittany squeals with excitement. Quinn's brow furrows as she watches her sisters repeat this several times, wondering how this could be so exciting to them. After a few more times Quinn notices that Santana is beginning to look bored and she rolls her eyes when the latina starts to build her own tower instead, looking at Brittany furiously when the blonde knocks it over.

"Brittany! We're not playing that anymore!" the little latina scolds with a pout, folding her arms across her chest and glancing at Quinn who sighs and forces herself to stand up and walk over to them.

"I'll play with you, Britt" the older blonde tells her softly as she sits down and helps her youngest sister to build her tower up again, knocking it over once Brittany has placed the last block on top. Santana, pleased that she can stop, excitedly runs out of the living room and up the stairs, almost running straight into Shelby as she reaches the top, the woman's hand shooting out and grabbing onto the girl's arm when she stumbles backwards.

"And that, young lady, is why I always tell you not to run in the house!" Shelby chastises. "You almost fell downstairs! The next time I catch you running in the house, you will be spending the whole day following me around the house with your stool. Do you understand me?" she asks sternly and loudly, her glare faltering slightly when Santana looks at her with big, sad eyes as she nods.

"Sorry, Mama" Santana murmurs before turning and attempting to walk back downstairs, Shelby's gentle grasp on her wrist stopping her.

"I'm sorry baby girl, Mama just doesn't want you to get hurt" the woman explains softly. "You scared me" she adds, gently pulling Santana away from the top of the stairs and hugging her tenderly. "What were you coming upstairs for? The bathroom?"

"I was coming to see you" Santana replies softly and Shelby feels guilty for yelling at her.

"What do you need, baby?" the woman asks gently, pulling out of the hug but keeping one arm around her as she leads the latina into her bedroom. "Have a seat" Shelby smiles as she sits down on her big double bed and pats the space next to her, Santana clambering on and scooting as close to her Mama as she can.

"How long is it until we go on cation?" Santana questions.

"We go on _vacation_ at the end of next month. Remember we have been crossing off the days on the calender? Why? Do you have some questions about it?" Shelby asks her.

"Are there going to be lots of families there? Like us?" the latina asks, looking up at her Mama curiously. "Do I have to share my cape?" Shelby chuckles at the last question and she affectionately squeezes her daughter's shoulders in a one armed hug.

"Yeah there will be lots of families there and all of them will be families like ours. I know you didn't like sharing your toys and your cape when Aunt Holly and Sugar were here but that was different, they were guests in our home. You don't need to share your things with people you don't know but if you do make any little friends there then, yes, it is polite to share your things but you don't need to if you don't want to" Shelby explains with an amused smirk on her face. "There will be lots for us all to do there so you won't need to take all of your toys with you, only one or two and only if it can fit in the car" she adds, pressing a soft kiss to Santana's temple.

"Mama..your car is huuuuge" the latina retorts with a roll of her dark brown eyes. "Silly!" she adds with a shake of her head, as though her Mama isn't aware of the size of her car.

"Yes it is but once we're in the car and all our luggage is, there isn't much room for toys and anyway, it's a vacation. You will be too busy having fun doing other things to sit in the cabin and play with your toys!" Shelby exclaims as she tickles the side of Santana's stomach, the girl giggling and attempting to roll away from her Mama. The woman laughs at the girl's efforts to escape and tickles her even more, glad to see Santana's earlier pout is long gone.

"MAMA!" Shelby's hand stills on Santana's stomach and her head whips around to the door, the fear in Quinn's voice from downstairs chilling her blood and suddenly stands up.

"Stay here, babe" the woman tells Santana sternly, the serious look in her eyes informing the latina that it's not a good idea for her to argue so she nods, watching with terrified eyes as her Mama rushes downstairs as the sound of frantic sobbing floats upstairs.

_**To be continued...**_

_**Thank you for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, it all belongs to RIB and Fox. Anyone you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter, I'm glad you guys still like this and I appreciate them all :)**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 8

Shelby reaches the livingroom to find Brittany sobbing on the floor, her hand pressed against her head as Quinn hovers beside her, her hazel eyes full of concern. The woman kneels down in front of her baby and gently pulls the girl's hand away so that she can have a look, relieved to see it's just a small cut with only a little blood dripping from it. Brittany's heartbreaking sobs calm down slightly as she accepts the tight, maternal hug her Mama gives her, the blonde pointing sadly at the corner of the coffee table. Shelby gently inspects the cut, trying to work out if she needs to speak to big girl Brittany as she looks deep into wet blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mama. We were only playing, I didn't mean to be so rough with her" Quinn states softly, her features guilty. "I didn't mean to push her so hard" Shelby whips around to gaze at her oldest, the girl squirming underneath her piercing gaze.

"Mama...hurts!" Brittany whimpers, pulling Shelby's attention back to her and the woman gives her a sympathetic smile as cups Brittany's face in her hands.

"Is big girl Brittany okay?" Shelby asks quietly, needing to be sure that the girl isn't seriously hurt, the girl's small nod causing her to smile softly. "Okay, we'll go get you cleaned up. Quinn, go get Santana please" the woman states simply, knowing she needs to calm down before confronting the girl about what happened. She helps Brittany to stand up and takes her youngest's hand, leading her into the kitchen and making her stand beside the sink while she wets a paper towel with cold water and holds it against the cut, glad to see it's more like a scratch but she guesses the blonde will have a bruise soon. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"Uh huh" Brittany sniffles, feeling very sorry for herself and looking around for her pacifier. Shelby notices and reaches into the drawer nearest to her, pulling out one of the spares and handing it to Brittany, the girl immediately placing it in her mouth and looking at her Mama pitifully. "Hurts" she repeats.

"I know, baby girl..I know. Mama will get you some Tylenol and a band aid" Shelby coos as Santana barrels into the kitchen, the little latina skidding to a halt next to Brittany and holding her hand.

"Are you okay?" Santana asks desperately.

"No running in the house, I don't want you getting hurt as well" her Mama states softly, "Your sister is okay, it's just a little scratch and there will be a nasty bruise but she's okay" she adds soothingly. Santana watches carefully as her Mama cleans out Brittany's tiny cut, her brow furrowing..it's not nice when Brittany is sad or hurt. Shelby pulls a skin coloured band-aid from the drawer, knowing Brittany will get too caught up in her injury if she uses one with cartoon characters and she doesn't want that to be all that the girl focuses on. She gently sticks it to the girl's head and places a soft kiss on top of it before pouring some Tylenol onto a spoon and tipping it into Brittany's mouth. "Is that better, princess?" Shelby questions kindly.

"Yum!" Brittany explains, smacking her lips together and savouring the cherry flavoured medicine, Shelby chuckling as she places the spoon in the sink and puts the Tylenol away. She watches with a tender smile as Santana pulls her cape off and puts it around her sister's neck, Brittany's mouth forming a perfect 'o' as she plays with the soft, red fabric. "Wooow!" she gasps and Shelby has to agree, it's a huge deal for Santana to share her cape.

"Good girl" Shelby beams, kissing Santana's forehead, the girl grinning proudly at the praise. "Why don't you take Brittany to watch some cartoons and look after her" she suggests when she notices Quinn lingering in the doorway, gesturing for the girl to come towards her as her sisters leave the room. "What happened?" Shelby questions when Quinn is standing in front of her.

"We were playing a game and we were pushing the towers over but then we started pushing each other" Quinn mumbles, "But she was laughing Mama, I swear! I guess I just pushed her too hard" she adds, trying to avoid her Mama's disappointed gaze.

"Quinn, you know better" Shelby scolds. "You are Brittany and Santana's big sister, you're supposed to look out for them not go along with their silly ideas" Shelby keeps her tone quiet but chastising. "Just last night Santana got spanked for pushing Sugar so you know that pushing is not allowed"

"But I wasn't being mean...just playing" Quinn interrupts, her eyes wide as she defends herself.

"It doesn't matter, people can still get hurt even when it is just play fighting. Brittany got hurt tonight. I've warned you about play fighting before" Shelby sighs, thinking about the time Quinn and Santana had got a little rough with each other, Quinn had come off worse that time. "Eight minutes" Shelby states, guiding Quinn to the corner and swatting her backside, hard. Quinn frowns at the wall as her Mama leaves her in the kitchen after a stern warning about staying in the corner without rubbing.

0-00-0

Shelby sighs as she slumps down onto the sofa with her coffee, glancing at Santana who is completely entranced by the dvd Shelby had gotten her, the animated adventures of Batman. It had been a tiring few hours, both Brittany and Quinn had been extremely put out about having to go to bed early. She feels bad but hopefully this means her girls will think twice about playing roughly with each other in the future. The woman can't help but smile when Santana giggles adorably at the show, the girl instinctively curling into her Mama's side without even taking her eyes off the television screen.

"You were a really good girl today" Shelby murmurs tenderly, kissing the top of Santana's raven head, the silky hair tickling her chin. "It was really nice of you to let Brittany borrow your cape" she adds, knowing it's important to praise her girls when they do something good and not just tell them off when they've done something wrong. "I was very proud"

"Thanks, Mama!" Santana responds brightly, looking away from the television just long enough to flash the woman a crooked grin. Shelby sighs softly as she tightens her arm around the little latina, happy to watch the cartoon with her daughter and even 'forget' about the girl's bedtime for a little while.

0-00-0

Brittany groans as she slams her locker closed and leans against it with a sigh, today had been horrible and the most unimaginable thing had happened during Math; Sugar had walked in. She wishes Holly could have warned her that Sugar is attending her high school, especially after her teacher had nominated her to show the new kid around. It turns out, adult Sugar is every bit as annoying as little Sugar and Brittany is pretty sure that even Shelby would find her irritating. It's not that she's mean, at least not on purpose anyway, it's that she spends so much time with her head up her own obnoxious ass that she doesn't seem to realise what she's saying half of the time. Brittany struggles to see what Holly likes about this girl but she assumes there must be something nice about her, Holly is a good judge of character.

"Bad day?" Brittany looks up to see Santana leaning against the locker next to hers, the latina dressed casually in a pair of ripped jeans and, of course, her favourite leather jacket.

"It just got better" Brittany smiles, leaning into her girlfriend and kissing her soft, full lips. "Hi" she grins.

"Hi, yourself. You okay, babe?" Santana asks, studying the blonde's face intently and noticing her pinched brow, a sure sign that something is borrowing her. "You wanna talk at home?" she questions and Brittany nods with a small smile, relieved that Santana knows her so well. She happily accepts the latina's outstretched hand and allows the other girl to lead her down the hall.

"Sugar goes here" Brittany eventuall blurts out and Santana stops in her tracks, her eyebrows almost disappearing into her hair. "She transferred, her first day was today and she's as _lovely_ as her other self" she gripes, waiting for Santana to say something. "I don't think Mom knows, she would have said something"

"Let's go talk to her" Santana replies simply, not at all sure what to say to Brittany. Hell, she doesn't even know what to think. Is this going to effect things at home? Would Sugar say anything and give their lifestyle away? She tugs gently on her girlfriend's hand and walks them out to the parking lot to her car, both of them staying silent as they get into the vehicle. Santana reaches over to grab a blanket from the backseat, handing it to Brittany to help warm her up, the tiny cheerios skirt did nothing against the cool air and she reminds herself to get the heating in the car fixed. The drive to Shelby's office is comfortably silent, Santana holding Brittany's hand over the centre console and gently grazing her thumb across the soft skin of her knuckles. Neither girl need to speak to know what the other is thinking, both of them well aware that they are both worrying about Sugar and both of them wondering what Quinn and Shelby will say about it. Santana is relieved when they reach Shelby's office, knowing that she will know what to say or do about the situation. They walk hand in hand to the door and buzz the bell, waiting for either Shelby or Holly to let them in, scowling when it's the latter, Holly's cheerful demeanour bugging her when she's not in the mood for it.

"Shelby's with a client, was she expecting you?" the blonde woman asks as she leads them through to the reception area where Quinn is, the girl helping out since she finished classes early today.

"We'll wait for her" Santana states, her tone of voice making it clear that she wants the woman to leave them alone, Holly taking the hint and retreating to her office.

"What's going on?" Quinn asks, instantly concerned by Santana and Brittany's demeanours.

"Sugar transferred to Mckinley today" Brittany mutters. "I had to show her around and she is an ass" she explains.

"Did she say anything about Sunday?" Quinn asks, her features showing the extent of her shock.

"No, she acted as if we had never met, which technically we haven't. Only little Brittany and little Sugar know each other but I could see it in her eyes, she was dying to say something and she looked so damn smug" Brittany states with irritation. "Why didn't Holly tell me? Don't I deserve to know that my home life was going to invade my school?" she questions, Santana softly rubbing the annoyed blonde's back.

"I doubt she'd say anything, Britt. She'd have to be willing to explain about her own lifestyle if she outed ours. Maybe you're worrying over nothing? If she didn't say anything then she obviously knows it's not something she should be talking about with you. Just because she's a bitch doesn't mean she's not smart enough to know not to say anything" Quinn reassures gently. "Holly would kill her if Sugar told anyone about you, babe"

"I think Quinn's right" Santana murmurs softly. "I think we just panicked a little bit, Britt" she adds quietly. "Maybe we should just wait until Mom comes home and talk to her then and the she can talk to Holly later, yeah?"

"Yeah, alright" Brittany nods. "If she says anything then little Santana can always kick her ass again" she smirks and Quinn chuckles when Santana blushes, albeit with a smug smirk tugging at the corner of her full lips.

_**To be continued. Please review, if this reaches 100 reviews I will update again tomorrow. Thank you for reading :)**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Wow you guys must have really wanted a quick update! I'm keeping my promise :) Thank you so much for all of your amazing reviews, I really appreciate them and they make it so easy to update quickly!**_

_**R&R please**_

Chapter 9

Shelby watches with an amused smirk as Santana and Quinn screw around with the shopping cart, Santana standing on the bottom tray as Quinn attempts to continue pushing it down the aisle. Grocery shopping with three teenagers is both fun and irritating, fun because the three girls are entertaining together but irritating because it takes twice the time it needs to. Shelby glances at Brittany who is hovering beside her and watching her girlfriend and friend try to out-do each other with a smile on her lips and she sighs softly, deciding how to word what she wants to say.

"Just say it" Brittany tells Shelby knowingly. "You keep looking at me with that worried look on your face, just say it" she states and Shelby chuckles, when did she become so transparent.

"I would have told you about Sugar if I had known" Shelby says softly, "It wasn't fair of Holly not to warn you. Are you okay about it?" the woman asks.

"Yeah...I was terrified when she first walked into the classroom, all I could think about was her telling everyone. I'm not ashamed of our family, I swear I'm not..I just..repeating my senior year is hard enough without having people judging me on my lifestyle and making jokes at our expense" Brittany explains quietly.

"Hey..you don't have to explain yourself, I completely understand. I know that you're not ashamed of our family, I'm thirty five and I don't tell many people about my job. People don't like what they don't understand" Shelby shrugs. "As for Sugar telling people, I promise you that she won't tell anyone. Sugar doesn't want people to find out either and she has promised Holly that she won't even bring it up while you guys are at school and she has a lot of respect for Holly so I know that she will keep that promise. If she says anything then you tell me straight away and I will make sure that Holly deals with her, alright?" Shelby watches Brittany carefully, glad to see the nerves disappear from her ice blue eyes.

"Alright" Brittany nods with a small smile, reaching out to grab a small pack of face paints from the shelf. "Little Santana would love this" she states quietly and Shelby nods with a smirk and they walk down the aisle to catch up with the others, Brittany tossing the face paints into the cart. Quinn raises a brow and looks up at Santana, knowing instantly who it's for and the latina blushes lightly.

"Get off the cart before you break it" Shelby tells Santana, shaking her head in exasperation, Quinn smirking when the latina meekly hops off. Shelby takes charge of the shopping cart and checks their list, sending each of the girls off in different directions to get the things that they need. She walks up and down the different aisles, scanning the shelves just in case they need something that they have forgotten about, grabbing a random pack of pacifiers since Brittany always seemed to lose them and throwing them in the cart.

"Here" Santana states as she approaches Shelby, handing her a 'science for kids' pack before dumping a few other items into the cart. "For Quinn" she adds and Shelby nods with a grin. She loves how, even as their adult selves, her girls always think about the little versions of their friends would like. "I was thinking about going to the mall this weekend to buy some stuff for Florida, you wanna come?" Santana asks.

"Yeah, sure. I ordered some things online last night as well, superhero bathing suits aren't all that easy to find in some sizes" Shelby smiles and Santana smirks. "I did manage to find a batman beach towel though, to use at the pool" she adds.

"Remember to buy some decent sunglasses" Santana tells her, "You know, so you can perve on the daddies without anyone knowing!"

0-00-0

Santana frowns as she hunts around the house for her cape, growing more and more worried with each passing moment. Mama was always telling her to be more careful with her things and now she knows why. She drops to her knees and checks under the sofa, pushing Shelby's legs out of the way and sighing loudly when she realises it isn't there either, where could it be?

"What are you doing, baby girl?" Shelby asks, gazing at her daughter in amusement.

"I can't find my cape" Santana pouts before sticking her head completely underneath the sofa, as though her cape would magically appear. She shimmies back out with a frown etched on her features and looks up at her Mama helplessly.

"It's in the washing machine, honey. You got ice-cream all over it last night" Shelby explains gently. "I'm sure it won't kill you to not wear it for a couple of house" she adds, tugging one of the girl's pigtails playfully.

"But I can't save the world without it, Mama!" Santana exclaims, staring at her mama as though the woman has lost her mind. "Can't you just take it out?" she asks as though it is completely obvious. "I _need_ it, Mama!" the girl adds loudly.

"Watch your tone, little girl" Shelby warns her with a dangerous tone in her voice. "You can play without your cape for a little while and I will give it straight back to you once it is clean and dry. You need to keep your voice down, Brittany is still napping" she explains carefully, her girl's sad eyes tugging at her heart strings. "Why don't we go feed the fish?" Shelby suggests, glad that Santana's expression immediately changes to an excited grin. She stands up and holds her hand out to the girl, the little latina taking it and allowing her Mama to lead her into the kitchen where Quinn is standing in front of the tank, tapping the glass and frowning. "Quinn..stop annoying the fish" Shelby sighs, feeling confused when Quinn turns to face them but keeps her back against the tank.

"Quinn, it's my turn..not yours" Santana complains, pulling her hand from Shelby's and storming over to the tank, getting annoyed when her sister doesn't move. "Quiiiin" she whines, pulling Quinn's arm in an attempt to make her move. Shelby rolls her eyes and steps forward, gently pulling both girls away from the tank and looking at Quinn curiously. "Mama? Why is Bruce Parker floating?" Shelby's eyes widen slightly at the innocent question and she turns around to face the tank, her hand resting on Santana's shoulder.

"Um..baby girl, why don't you go watch some cartoons" Shelby suggests quietly, chewing on her bottom lip and glancing at Quinn.

"No, I want to feed Bruce Parker. Come on Bruce, swim properly!" Santana demands, tapping the tank with her knuckle and startling the other two fish. "Mama, tell him he has to do what I say" the girl pleads.

"Quinn, can you go to the livingroom for a little while please, babe?" Shelby murmurs, waiting until her oldest has left the kitchen before turning her attention back to Santana. "Come here, baby" she says quietly, leading the girl to the kitchen table and sitting down, pulling the little latina onto her lap. "Sweetheart, do you remember when Simba's daddy had to go away in The Lion King?" she asks gently.

"Uh huh, he had to go to heaven" Santana answers innocently.

"Well, that's where Bruce Parker had to go" Shelby states softly, looking into the girl's wide, brown eyes and stroking her jet black hair softly. "Sometimes goldfish only here for a little while and then they have to go to heaven" the woman tells her sadly.

"But I don't want him to go to heaven" Santana whispers, "I want him to stay here with me" she adds with a whimper, her dark eyes flooding with tears.

"I know, baby. I'm very sorry" Shelby coos, wrapping her arms around her little girl and rubbing her back gently as she cries into the woman's shoulder. She frowns as she holds her little latina, wishing she had realised why Quinn was hiding the tank sooner so that she could have just gone out and bought a replacement without Santana knowing. Shelby carefully stands up, keeping Santana in her arms and carrying her bridal style out of the kitchen, struggling slightly with the girl's weight. She gently takes her into the livingroom, carefully lowering herself onto the sofa and rocking Santana in her arms, the girl keeping her face buried in Shelby's shoulder. Sometimes, it sucks to be a Mama.

_**To be continued.. Next chapter, the vacation. Thank you for reading, please review.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you very much for the reviews for the last chapter, I appreciate them all very much.**_

_**A/N - I've had a few PMs from people who are angry about my updating pace and demanding an update, I'm perfectly okay with people asking me about updates but it seems a little pointless demanding updates and then not reviewing. Thank you.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 10

Shelby rolls her eyes as she listens to Santana whisper the dialogue with the actors as she watches Shrek on the television screen on the back of Shelby's seat. She glances in the rear view mirror at Brittany, noticing that the girl is still pouting as she states out of the window, like she has been for the hour. She and Quinn had become restless after only being in the car for a few hours yesterday and had been grumpy since and misbehaving at every opportunity. Surprisingly, Santana has been the only one of the three who haven't been told off since they had left Lima yesterday morning. There had been one incident before they left, Santana had been a little rude while making Holly promise to take good care of Bruce Parker junior. She had even gone as far as to threaten the blonde woman but it had only taken a stern word from Shelby to end it. Even while they were at the motel last night, Santana had been on her best behaviour while her sisters had thrown tantrums. Shelby knows it's because Quinn and Brittany are tired, travelling can be exhausting, so she doesn't want to be too strict with them; not at the beginning of their vacation.

"Mama?" Shelby glances at Quinn who is sitting in the front passenger seat and she sighs softly. "How much longer?"

"Another thirty minutes or so, honey. Try to be patient, I know you're bored but we'll be there soon" Shelby murmurs kindly, reaching across the centre console and patting her knee affectionately. "Keep a look out for the hill, we should see it soon" she adds with a smile, laughing when Santana immediately turns the movie off and cranes her neck to look out of the windscreen. Even Brittany loses her pout for a few seconds.

"Do we have to drive up the hill?" Santana asks eagerly, for some reason this is exciting to her so Shelby nods with a grin. "Is it really high?"

"No, not really baby" the woman states regretfully. "But that just means we'll get to the resort quicker" she adds to keep Santana happy. Shelby can't keep the smile from her face as she drives, knowing her girls are buzzing with anticipation and she's thrilled that she had thought to suggest a vacation in the first place. She chuckles at the excited squeal that comes from Santana as she turns the car onto the road that leads them to the resort, the little latina bouncing in her seat and not even blinking when Brittany snatches Bugs from her lap. "Don't you dare" Shelby states knowingly and Santana sighs, retracting her hand away from the seatbelt clip which she had been about to unclip. "We're almost there, just everybody stay in their seats" her Mama adds firmly. The three girls gasp in awe when Shelby turns the car onto a dirt track and they spot the big iron gates at the end of the track, a big manor coming into view.

" . awesome" Santana states in a serious voice, her dark brown eyes wide and her mouth forming a perfect 'o'. Shelby chuckles and nods as she eases the car to a stop outside of the gates, a young man dressed in a green polo shirt and white shorts approaching them from the little hut that sits outside.

"Good afternoon Ma'am, welcome to GreenAcre" he greets politely. "Can I have your name, reservation number and proof of identification please?" he asks and Shelby hands over her drivers license and the receipt she had printed from the computer. "Alright, if you just follow the road down to the main reception and they'll get you sorted out, enjoy your stay"

"Thank you" Shelby smiles.

"Yeah, thanks Mr dude!" Santana calls after him as he heads back to the hut, the gates opening a moment later.

0-00-0

Shelby grasps onto Santana's hand as the girl attempts to dash to the park that they pass on their way to the manor where the main reception is. She ushers her girls inside and points them in the direction of the chairs and sofas in one corner of the large reception area, sending them over with a stern warning to stay there and not to wander off. Shelby stands in front of the large, white marble reception desk, waiting patiently while the staff member finishes his phonecall with housekeeping.

"Apologies for the wait, Ma'am..Welcome to.." the man stops when he looks up and sees Shelby. "Shelby Corcoran?" he asks in disbelief.

"David Martinez...long time no see!" Shelby exclaims. "You look good" she adds with a smile.

"So do you, well actually you look better than good, you look great!" David tells her sincerely. "I didn't realise your clients could book you for a vacation" he states curiously.

"Oh..no, I'm not with a client" Shelby chuckles as she turns around to look for the girls. "Girls! Come here" she calls, she waits until they reach her before turning back to David with a smile. "This is Quinn, Santana and Brittany" she tells him, "Girls, this is David. Mama and he used to work together with Aunt Holly"

"Hi girls" David smiles, receiving a shy chorus of 'hey' from the three girls, Santana studying him curiously with a furrowed brow. "Guess it's my lucky day, I get to check-in the three cutest girls in the whole place" he grins and Shelby shakes her head in amusement at how show her daughters are being; they're never shy. "Let's get you ladies checked in then, huh?" the man smiles while shooting Shelby a wink. David turns to his computer and types in Shelby's name, waiting for the details of their stay to load onto the screen. "You guys are in cabin twenty six..follow the road around, go passed the restaurant...if you reach the lake then you've gone too far" David explains as he hands Shelby a map and a key-card. "Enjoy your stay" he smiles.

"Thanks Dave, maybe we can catch up at some point?" Shelby suggests, "We're here all week" she adds.

"I'd love that" he answers sincerely. Santana and Quinn share a frown, not all impressed with the thought of having to share their Mama with anyone else while on vacation, adult or not. She shoots a suspicious glance at the smiling latino, noting with satisfaction that his grin falters slightly. Brittany latches on to Shelby's hand as they walk back to the car, staring at her surroundings in awe, her sparking blue eyes wide.

"It's like a mini town!" Quinn whispers excitedly to Santana, her little sister nodding vigorously. "I wanna go to the entertainment complex, Mama..can we go?" the blonde asks sweetly.

"We need to get settled in our cabin first and then we can check out the place, honey" Shelby responds. "Don't worry, we have the whole week here, we're going to have lots of fun" she adds with a smile as she ushers them into the car. "Alright girls, look out for the number twenty six" Shelby tells Santana and Quinn as she straps Brittany into her specially made car seat.

"Quick!" Brittany demands and Shelby chuckles.

"I'll get us there as quick as I can" she confirms, tenderly kissing her youngest's forehead. Shelby closes the door and moves around to her side of the car and slides into the driver's seat. "Santana" she states warningly, eyeing the girl in the rear view mirror as the little Latina kneels on her booster seat. "Sit down properly and put your seat belt on, please" she adds, nodding in approval when Santana does what she's told.

0-00-0

Shelby sighs as the sound of bickering comes from Santana and Quinn's room as she unpacks Brittany's clothes for her while the girl has a nap in her Mama's bed. They had been in their cabin for twenty minutes and the arguments had already started but she's not exactly surprised. Shelby pulls Brittany's blanket from the suitcase and places it inside the specially made crib before making her way to the bedroom next door.

"I'm on the top bunk, _Sanny_" Quinn sneers with a smirk, knowing it will annoy her sister if she uses that hated nickname. "You're too much of a baby" she adds, her smirk suddenly falling from her face when she notices Shelby standing in the doorway.

"Don't call me that!" Santana yells at her Shelby muses that she would look pretty threatening if it wasn't for her cape before stepping forward and standing between them.

"What is going on?" Shelby demands, wincing as the both start to loudly explain at the same time. She holds her hand up, pleased that both of them fall silent, albeit looking very disgruntled. "One at a time please and keep your voices down, your little sister is sleeping" she scolds them. "Santana, what's going on?" Shelby asks calmly.

"Quinn won't let me sleep in the top bunk, even though I called it" Santana complains with a pout. "I called it first, Mama!" she repeats, a folding her arms across her chest. "And she called me that stu..silly name" Santana adds while Shelby raises a perfectly manicured eyebrow at her almost slip.

"Anything you'd like to add, Quinn?" Shelby asks and Quinn shakes her head while shooting Santana a scowl.

"Okay. Quinn, stop calling your sister names that she doesn't like. You know it upsets her, next time you do it you will be in the corner" Shelby warns. "Santana, I'd prefer it if you slept on the bottom bunk, sweetheart" she states gently, sending Quinn a warning glare when the blonde grins smugly. "Go wait in the livingroom" she tells her oldest, waiting until Quinn is out of earshot before turning back to Santana. "Baby girl, you've been wearing your diapers at night and I would rather that you were on the bottom bunk?" Shelby tells her softly, cupping the girl's cheek in her hand.

"Why?" Santana asks miserably.

"Because you had to get out of bed the other night because you were wet and I don't want you climbing out of a high bed in the dark" her Mama explains gently as she leads Santana over to sit on the bottom bunk. "I know it sucks, babe." Shelby symphasises as she unties Santana's cape and pulls it off of her. "But we can make the bottom bunk _way_ cooler. Scoot back" she smiles. Santana slides back until she is leaning against the wall that the bunk bed is pushed up against, watching her Mama curiously. Shelby tucks the edge of the girl's cape underneath the top mattress so that it acts like a curtain, shielding Santana from view.

"It's like a secret bed!" Santana exclaims, pulling the cape back and peeking out at Shelby with an awestruck grin on her face. "That's way cooler than the top bunk!" she adds seriously, her Mama chuckling and nodding. "But..do we have to use my cape?" the latina asks, obviously concerned that she might not get to wear her cape as much as she wanted to.

"Sure, baby" Shelby replies with an eye roll, "We can use something else" Shelby knows that Quinn won't be jealous of Santana's 'secret bed' but Santana will at least think she is and that's enough. "Now, come on. We'll go play some games until it's time to wake Brittany up and then we can go out and explore" Shelby tells her, pulling the cape out from underneath Quinn's mattress and handing it to her.

"Can we go to the park?" Santana asks eagerly and Shelby nods. She's glad that her girls will have the oppurtunity to do things that they aren't able to back home and loves that she gets to witness it.

_**To be continued.. Thank you for reading. Please review.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for all of the reviews and PMs regarding this story so far, I'm thrilled people still like this.**_

_**A/N - Please be patient with me, I'm doing my best to update all of my stories and while I appreciate how much you want an update for this, telling me to update doesn't make it any easier for me to do so. Constructive and/or positive reviews give me much more motivation than demands do. :)**_

Chapter 11

Santana pulls her towel further around her body as she shivers in the air conditioned reception area. Maybe leaving the pool to look for a bathroom by herself wasn't such a good idea after all. She watches as David talks into the phone, the man glancing over at her and shooting her a reassuring, impossibly white, smile, receiving one of Santana's patented scowls in response. The little latina's lower lip trembles as she waits for her Mama to come get her, knowing that she's in big trouble for wandering off. Why should she be in trouble? She asked her Mama lots of times to take her to the bathroom but she was too busy helping Brittany. It's not fair!

"Hey Santana, your Mama's on her way" David tells her kindly as he moves to sit down next to her. "She was pretty worried" he adds and Santana looks away from him with a frown, he's not allowed to tell her off! Only Mama can tell her off, or Aunt Holly when she's looking after them. "She wants you to stand in the corner until she gets here" he adds regretfully, nodding in the direction of the nearest empty corner and Santana stares at him in disbelief. "Sorry, kid" Santana scowls at him once more for good measure before shuffling over to the corner, thinking about how unfair it is that dumb David just sent her to the corner. Santana scowls at the white wall as she stands in the corner, her gaze blurring as she struggles to fight back the tears that gather in her dark eyes when she thinks about how much trouble she's in. She feels angry that her Mama had David send her to the corner and she feels angry that her Mama was too busy to take her to the bathroom, none of this would be happening if she just took her to the dumb bathroom. It's Mama's fault! Now her Mama is going to turn up and scold her in front of him too, it sucks. Santana smiles softly when she realises that her Mama can't yell at her in public if she doesn't stay in the corner and she turns away from the wall and starts to scurry towards the womens' bathrooms in the reception are.

"Bathroom!" she yells when David shouts after her, knowing that boys can't go into the girls bathroom. Santana feels pretty proud of herself as she sits down on one of the toilet lids, at least now dumb David won't see her in trouble. The longer she sits there, the more the girl realises this was a bad idea..her Mama is going to be mad that she didn't stay in the corner like she was supposed to. Santana's eyes widen when she hears the smacking sound of flip-flops on the marble floor, the sound getting steadily closer...her Mama is wearing flip-flops.

"Santana Marie Lopez!" Shelby exclaims loudly as she walks into the bathroom, stopping at the door of Santana's cubicle with her hands on her hips and a dangerous expression on her face. "You were supposed to stay in the corner!"

"David can't send me to the corner!" Santana argues loudly, realising her mistake when Shelby strides forward, pulls her to her feet and lays a sharp smack to her backside.

"I would stop the attitude if I were you, little girl" Shelby states warningly. "You're already in enough trouble for wandering off and then leaving the corner. I told you I would take you to the bathroom, you just needed to wait a couple of minutes until I got Brittany out of the pool..she's only little and can't be in the pool without me. You can't just wander off, Mama was really scared when she didn't know where you were!"

"I'm sorry, Mama" Santana murmurs.

"We are going to go out there and you will apologise to David for ignoring him and then we are going back to the cabin. You will be going straight to the corner, we will have dinner and then you will be having a bath and then going to bed with a sore bottom" Shelby states seriously, feeling bad when Santana's face crumples at the thought of a spanking but knowing she needs to follow through. Shelby leans forward and cups her girl's face in her hands, brushing her tears away with her thumbs and gazing at her intently. "I know you don't want to be punished but I'd be a bad Mama if I just let you break the rules, would I?"

"Uh huh" the little latina whimpers, leaning into her Mama, the woman complying and wrapping her arms around her in a warm, gentle hug. "I'm sorry, Mama" Santana repeats.

"I know, my sweet girl. You're already forgiven" Shelby replies softly. "When you wake up tomorrow it'll be a fresh start and we can continue our vacation. Alright?" she questions, smiling softly when Santana nods.

0-00-0

Shelby pulls the toilet lid down and perches on top of it as she keeps an eye on Santana and Brittany in the bath. She smiles as she watches Santana place the bubbles around Brittany's chin, her tongue sticking out slightly in concentration as she perfects the bubble beard on her sister's face.

"Ho ho ho!" Brittany exclaims in excitement, causing her Mama and sister to giggle which pleases her even further. The cute blonde cups her hands and tries to give Santana a bubble beard in return, the latina pressing her lips tightly together when Brittany gets the soap all over her mouth. Shelby notices Quinn standing in the doorway and she beckons her over with a smile, Quinn moving across the bathroom and perching on her Mama's lap.

"You okay, babe?" Shelby asks quietly, Santana and Brittany making enough noise in the tub that she and Quinn are given a little privacy even though they are in the same room.

"I'm mad at Santana" Quinn replies simply, a small sigh leaving her mouth as she leans back against her Mama.

"Because she wandered off?" Shelby questions knowingly and Quinn nods. "You were worried about her, huh?"

"Yeah, she's only little! She can't just leave. I hope you spank her butt really good" Quinn retorts seriously. Shelby's eyebrows rise in surprise, this certainly was a big change from the girl who got mad about Santana's last spanking.

"Hey hey, calm down" Shelby murmurs. "Your sister is definitely being punished but remember, tomorrow she gets a clean slate and we _all_ have to respect that. Go get changed into your pajamas and pick a movie, you and Brittany can start watching it while I deal with Santana and then I'll come join you, okay?" She smiles when Quinn nods and watches her leave before grabbing one of the towels and moving over to the tub. "Alright Brittany, time to get out" Shelby states, holding out the towel and wrapping it around her youngest before helping her out. "I'll be back in five minutes, make sure you finished washing" she tells Santana. She leads Brittany into the bedroom that they are sharing and helps her to drive off and guiding her to lay on her back on the bed. Shelby grabs some pajamas and a fresh diaper from the drawers and lays them on the bed next to her daughter.

"Mama, ouchies" Brittany frowns and Shelby pouts in sympathy as she checks the girl's diaper rash.

"That does look pretty sore" Shelby agrees, glad that she had put Santana in the bath with Brittany to distract her from the pain, the water must have made it hurt even more. "Mama will put some cream on it for you" she adds as she grabs the tub from the bedside cabinet. She makes sure to smother the sore areas of Brittany's bottom with the cream, being as gentle as possible while feeling proud of the girl for being so brave during it. "You did good, my angel" Shelby coos, smiling when Brittany grins cutely at the compliment. Brittany lays still as her Mama puts her diaper on, something that doesn't surprise Shelby as the girl is always well behaved..well, most of the time anyway. "Alright" she states as she pulls Brittany's pajama top over her head, "Let's get your bottoms on and then you're good to go"

"No" Brittany says seriously with a shake of her head and Shelby rolls her eyes, Brittany usually did prefer to only wear her shirt and diaper to bed. She shrugs and helps the blonde to her feet, it's pretty warm so she doesn't see why she has to wear her bottoms. Shelby holds her hand as they walk out of the bedroom and she stands in the hall and watches as Brittany rushes over to Quinn on the sofa, making sure her youngest is safely with Quinn before walking back into the bathroom.

0-00-0

Shelby feels as though her heart is about to break as she holds a sobbing Santana close to her chest, her free hand gently rubbing the reddened skin of the latina's bottom. The girl's bitter sobs echo around the room and her tears soak into Shelby's shirt and Shelby can hear Quinn turning the tv up. She knows that, as much as Quinn thinks Santana deserves her spanking, she still doesn't like to hear her little sister sounding so upset.

"Let's get into bed, baby girl" Shelby murmurs gently and she guides Santana into bed, climbing under the duvet with her. Santana collapses onto her Mama face first and continues to cry into her chest while promising to never be bad ever again. "You're not bad, sweetheart. You sometimes do naughty and silly things but you're not bad" Shelby explains softly as she presses a tender kiss into raven hair. She reaches down again to soothingly rub the warm skin in an attempt to calm the girl, even though she knows it may take a few minutes longer than usual after giving Santana a small dose of the back of her little, plastic hairbrush. "Mama loves you very much, baby. I know it hurts and I don't like punishing you girls but you know why Mama need to, don't you?" Shelby questions.

"Yeah" Santana sniffles. "I'm sorry, Mama"

"I know you are. You've been punished now so it's a fresh start, we're gonna have lots of fun tomorrow. Maybe we can feed the ducks and go to the arcade, would you like that?" her Mama asks kindly and Santana nods into her shoulder. Shelby carefully repositions them so that she is sitting on the edge of the bed and Santana is laying on her stomach, still sniffling slightly as her Mama gently pulls the duvet over her, still bare, bottom. "I love you, sweetheart" Shelby murmurs as she kisses Santana's forehead.

"I love you too" Santana whispers back. Shelby sits with her until she is asleep, not sure that it's such a good idea to send Santana to bed without a diaper but feeling too cruel just at the thought of taping a snug fitting diaper to her poor, sore butt. She knows that there's a rubber mattress protector underneath the bottom sheet so she's not too worried, it won't be any trouble to wash the sheets in the morning if she needs to. Even though it's barely seven o'clock, Santana falls asleep quickly..she usually does after a spanking. Shelby smiles tenderly at the soft snores coming from the little latina and she gently kisses her forehead again before quietly leaving to join the other girls in their dvd night.


	12. Chapter 12

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you very much for all of your reviews for the last chapter. I love writing this story so it means a lot to know that people are enjoying it! :)**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 12

Quinn looks over at Shelby and rolls her eyes when she sees that the woman is still on her cell phone. Aunt Holly had called her ten minutes ago, that's too long to talk on the phone! She glances at Brittany, smirking at the longing look the girl is giving the box of fruit loops that sit on the kitchen counter, her smirk fading when her tummy growls. She hopes her Mama will stop talking soon and make their breakfast.

"San!" Brittany suddenly yells, as though she has only just noticed that Santana isn't with them in the kitchen yet. Quinn doesn't blame her for being surprised, Santana went to bed _way_ before them..how is she _still_ sleeping? "San!" the younger girl shouts again.

"Santana is sleeping, honey. Try and keep the noise down, Mama will make you breakfast in a minute" Shelby states, covering the mouth piece her cell while she talks to her daughter. She watches them for a moment before going back to her conversation with Holly, causing Quinn to sigh and drop her head down onto the table. She watches out of the corner of her eye as Brittany attempts to unclip herself from her high chair, the girl getting frustrated when she is unable to set herself free. She lifts her head when Santana shuffles into the room, wearing her pajama pants back to front and yawning loudly.

"Santana!" Brittany cheers and the latina kisses her cheek before slumping down onto the chair next to her, wincing as she does so. "No food" Brittany informs her sadly.

"There's lots of food, Britt. Mama just hasn't made it yet" Quinn corrects. "You better not run away again" she adds, frowning at Santana and receiving one of the latina's patented scowls in response.

"Shut up, Quinn!" Santana retorts petulantly. "I don't have to do what you tell me!"

"I hope Mama spanks you again" Quinn mutters bitterly.

"I hope Mama burns your bacon!" Santana throws back at her angrily.

"Oooh" Brittany gasps. Even she knows that it's a big deal to wish bad things on Quinn's bacon. Quinn glares at the latina dangerously as Shelby ends her phonecall and walks over to them

"Good morning, sweetheart" Shelby smiles as she kisses the top of Santana's head. "Did you sleep okay?" she asks, chuckling when she notices the girl's pajama pants.

"Yes, Mama" Santana replies sweetly, flashing the woman an innocent smile, feeling proud of herself for winning the argument against Quinn.

"Good" Shelby grins before turning to face Quinn. "Let me guess, you'd like bacon for breakfast?" she asks teasingly.

"No, thank you. I'll just have fruit loops please, Mama" Quinn responds, throwing a dark look at Santana, scowling when the girl grins at her. Shelby raises a brow as she looks between the two girls, knowing something is going on. Brittany throws her pacifier on to the table, unintentionally removing Shelby's attention away from her big sisters, the youngest girl frowning heavily at her Mama.

"Hungry!" Brittany pouts.

"I know you are, Quinn is gonna help me with it right now" Shelby tells her kindly, kissing the top of her head and motioning for Quinn to follow her. "Stop throwing your pacifier" she adds with a stern look. Santana passes Brittany's pacifier back to her as soon as her Mama and Quinn are in the kitchen.

"Don't throw it again or Mama will get mad" Santana whispers, hating the though of innocent Brittany getting into trouble.

"Kay" Brittany states with a serious nod. "Tana, okay?" she asks a moment later, noticing the slight frown on Santana's face. The little latina decides to ignore the nickname her sister uses since she's just being nice to her.

"My butt hurts" Santana states simply, scowling when Brittany giggles. "Brittany! It's not funny!" she whines. She scowl deepens when she catches Quinn shooting her a smug grin from the kitchen. Santana sticks her tongue out at her and slouches back in her seat, her arms folded across her chest; it's war.

0-00-0

Shelby watches as Quinn helps Brittany rip up her bread into small pieces, smiling when the younger girl throws several pieces into the pond at once; much to the irritation of Quinn. Shelby looks to her other side where Santana is hovering beside her, the latina clearly bored of feeding the ducks.

"I'm so proud of you for staying dry last night" Shelby murmurs as she wraps an arm around the girl's shoulders and kisses her temple.

"Thanks, Mama" Santana grins, bursting with pride at her Mama's compliment. She looks across the pond at the other family feeding the ducks and scoffs when the boy runs away from one of the ducks. Santana makes sure to stick close by her mama's side as she watches her sisters throw bread into the pond, keeping an extra close eye on Quinn. She smiles when Brittany wraps her arms around Shelby, her smile dropping slightly when she meets Quinn's gaze.

"Alright, how about we go to the pool for a little while before we have lunch" Shelby suggest, all three girls nodding eagerly. Shelby doesn't notice the glares that Santana and Quinn are sending each other as she straps Brittany into the stroller she rented from the reception. She's much too busy cooing over Brittany, both of them thrilled that they had come across the specially made strollers. The walk to the pool is mainly quiet, Brittany struggling to stay awake and Santana and Quinn sending each other silent threats behind their oblivious Mama's back. Shelby turns to face the girls as they reach the pool.

"You girls need to stay where I can see you at _all_ times. If you need to go to the bathroom then you come and tell me and _wait_ until I take you. I don't want to spank either of you tonight but I will if you even think about wandering off" Shelby tells them sternly.

"I promise I won't, Mama" Quinn states innocently while wearing her sweetest smile.

"Good" Shelby nods, helping Quinn to pull her shirt off, revealing her pink bathing suit. The girl runs and jumps into the pool as soon as her shorts and sandals off. "Do you understand what I said, Santana?" Shelby asks as she sits down on a sub lounger and pulls Santana's water wings out from underneath the stroller.

"Yes, Mama. I promise I won't ever wander off again" Santana tells her soberly.

"I'm very glad to hear that, babe" Shelby smiles as she starts to blow up one of the water wings. Santana notices Quinn watching her from the pool and she scowls when the blonde makes a face at her. She waits, not so, patiently while her Mama finishes blowing up her water wings. Why is it taking her so long?! Santana sighs with relief as her Mama FINALLY finishes. "Arms up" Shelby requests before pulling Santana's t'shirt off and revealing her black swimsuit with the yellow batman logo on it. Shelby slides the water wings on to each of Santana's arms, making sure they are securely on.

"Thank you, Mama" Santana says sweetly.

"You're very welcome" Shelby smiles.

"Bye!" Santana tells her, attempting to run to the pool, disappointed when her Mama catches her arm and pulls her back.

"Not yet, little one. Quinn has sun cream on, you don't" Shelby reminds her. "Plus you still have you shorts and shoes on" she adds with a chuckle. Santana sighs softly and pulls her shoes off, almost ripping her shorts off a second later. She stands as still as she can while Shelby rubs the cream on her, wishing her Mama would hurry up! Santana watches as Dave walks around the pool, the man grinning at her as he makes his way over to them.

"Hi, ladies" he greets with a warm smile, only receiving a disgruntled noise in return from Santana.

"Good morning" Shelby beams as she puts the sun cream away and checks on, a now fast asleep, Brittany. Santana frowns when her Mama starts to strip down to her bikini.

"Mama!" the Latina suddenly cries. "You should keep your shirt on, you might burn" she tells Shelby seriously, glancing anxiously at Dave.

"I have sun cream on, babe. You don't have to worry about Mama, go have fun" Shelby urges her. Santana nods and scowls as she shuffles over to the pool, jumping in and splashing Quinn in the process. Her brown eyes narrow as she watches her Mama carefully, wishing she had her cape with her so that she could save her from dumb Dave. Santana thinks carefully, trying to remember all of the pranks that Quinn had taught her. That's it! Quinn will know what to do! Santana shimmies around in the water, slowly turning herself to face Quinn; only to be hit with a face full of water from the smirking blonde.

_**To be continued... Thank you very much for reading. Please take a moment to let me know what you think :)**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you so much for the reviews for the last chapters, I'm thrilled that you guys still like this! It makes my day when I read your great reviews :)**_

_**A/N - I love that you guys are so supportive but PLEASE don't send nasty messages to SadPanda13 or to any mutual friends. Thank you for your lovely messages, I do appreciate them but let's keep things civil :)**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 13

Quinn frowns as she listens to Shelby speaking on the phone, her frown deepening when she hears her invite David to join them for dinner tonight in the restaurant. She looks over at Santana, the little latina sticking her tongue out and sprinting into the bedroom that she and Quinn are sharing. Quinn rolls her eyes as she watches Brittany quickly crawl after Santana before glancing back at her Mama. Hazel eyes narrow at the goofy grin on Shelby's face. Mama is always happy, but never _that_ happy! Quinn chews on her bottom lip while she watches the woman, thinking about how to get her to stop talking to David all of the time. Huffing loudly, Quinn quickly runs into the bedroom to find Santana.

"Santana! It's important" Quinn states seriously as she walks into the bedroom. She looks around the room for her sisters, finally spotting two pairs of feet sticking out from underneath Santana's cape which hangs down over the bottom bunk. Quinn frowns in confusion when Santana sticks one arm out, waving a pair of white underpants while Brittany giggles. "What are you doing?" Quinn asks, assuming her sister is just being weird.

"A truth...I'm calling a truth!" Santana yells from behind the cape and Quinn rolls her eyes. Nerd.

"A truce?" she questions.

"Yes! That!" Santana shouts back.

"Why are you waving your underwear?" Quinn asks in irritation.

"I didn't have a white flag" Santana murmurs, peeking out from behind her cape with a pout on her face. "I sturrender" she adds, waving her underwear again.

"Surrender" Quinn corrects her. "Why?"

"Dumb David wants to kiss Mama and I don't want him to" the little latina explains.

"Neither do I" Quinn agrees. "We need to scare him off. Okay, truce" Quinn adds.

"You can come in" Santana tells her, holding the cape out of the way and allowing her sister to join them on her bed, letting the cape to fall back into place once Quinn is settled. "How are we going to save Mama from Dave?" she asks seriously.

"I don't know" Quinn sighs. "Brittany, go keep an eye on Mama. Make sure she doesn't come in here" she tells her youngest sister, the blue eyed blonde frowning but doing as her sisters asks anyway. "Brittany can't help us" Quinn whispers as soon as Brittany is out of earshot.

"What? Why?" Santana complains with a pout.

"Because Mama will be really mad if we get caught. We're big girls but Brittany isn't, we have to look out for her..not get her into trouble" Quinn explains. She and Santana hate when Brittany is in trouble, especially if she cries.

"Okay" Santana agrees, albeit unhappily. The little latina leans closer when Quinn motions for her, eagerly listening as Quinn tells her some ideas. Operation Destroy Dumb Dave is officially a go!

0-00-0

Shelby glances over at Santana and Quinn as she straps Brittany into her stroller, noticing that they are huddled together on the sofa and whispering. She frowns slightly at the anxious glance Santana sends her, knowing immediately that the girls are up to something..something she isn't going to like. A gentle tap on her leg steals her attention away from them and she looks down at Brittany, the young girl gazing at her sadly.

"Binky gone" Brittany murmurs with a frown on her features.

"Brittany, did you throw your pacifier again?" Shelby asks her sternly, kneeling down in front of the stroller and placing her hands on Brittany's knees.

"Nope. Lost!" Brittany replies honestly, throwing her hands up in confusion.

"You lost it, huh? Well, I'm sure Mama has lots of spare ones, don't you think?" Brittany giggles as Shelby pulls a pacifier from the tray on the bottom of her stroller, brandishing it triumphantly.

"Yay!" Brittany cheers adorably, giving her Mama a toothy grin as she accepts the pacifier.

"Alright, jackets on please" Shelby states as she stands up, looking over at her other girls with a suspicious frown. Both girls look up at her with sweet and innocent smiles before rushing to grab their jackets, completely unaware that their Mama is already suspicious of them. "Your sisters are up to something" Shelby says to Brittany, watching the blonde carefully to see if she knows anything. "They're gonna cause trouble for Mama, aren't they?"

"Nope!" Brittany replies innocently...too innocently. She may not exactly know what her sisters are planning but she definitely knows that they are planning something. Shelby narrows her eyes when she notices the guilt on her youngest girl's face, looking at her with stern eyes. "Sleepy, Mama" the blonde murmurs around her pacifier and her Mama sighs softly.

"Alright. Close your eyes, little one. Mama will wake you when we get to the restaurant" Shelby tells her kindly. She watches as Santana comes back out of her bedroom, struggling to put her jacket on properly over her cape. "Santana, leave the cape here tonight please" Shelby tells her, not in the least bit surprised at the massive pout she receives in response. "Take it off and put it back in the bedroom"

"Why, Mama?" Santana asks her sadly.

"We're going to a nice restaurant. You don't need your cape, honey. Go put it in the bedroom" Shelby states firmly but not unkindly. She rolls her eyes as the little latina dramatically stomps back into her temporary bedroom, pushing passed Quinn who is walking out of it. Shelby watches in surprise when Quinn doesn't even blink, the blonde just making her way over to her and patiently waiting for Santana to come back. Usually, that sort of thing would cause an argument between the two sisters, now Shelby knows that there is _definitely_ something going on. "Thank you" Shelby smiles as Santana comes back out of the bedroom, minus her cape and still struggling with the zip on her jacket and still with a heartbreaking pout on her face.

"I'll do it" Quinn tells Santana, walking over to her and pulling her zip up for her. "You have to line it up at the bottom, see?" she adds, making sure Santana is watching. Shelby's eyebrows almost disappear into her hair as she watches the girls interact, surprised by how nice they are being with each other. Maybe she's just overreacting, maybe they aren't up to anything, maybe they're just making the most of being on vacation and having fun.

"Santana, what do you say to Quinn?" Shelby urges gently.

"Thank you, Quinn!" Santana chirps, grinning sweetly at her older sister.

"Good girl. Alright, we're walking to the restaurant so both of you stay close to me at all times. Santana, either hold on to the stroller or hold Quinn's hand...no wandering off!" Shelby warns them, giving Santana a meaningful look.

"I know, Mama" Santana sighs. "That was only one time" she grumbles, earning herself a light swat on her backside as she shuffles passed Shelby. Shelby raises a perfectly manicured brow as Quinn trots after her sister, seemingly eager to stay close to Santana. Suspicious.

0-00-0

Shelby frowns when she notices Santana send her an anxious glance for the fifth time in the last few minutes. The little latina had been acting nervous ever since they had arrived at the restaurant, she had even dropped her spoon under the table when Dave had spoken to her. She watches as Quinn nudges Santana and urgently whispers to her, the younger girl nodding and looking apologetic. She's about to ask the suspicious pair what is going on when Brittany's adorable giggle steals her attention. Shelby smiles when she sees her youngest babble happily to Dave, the man grinning and tickling her, eliciting another adorable giggle from her.

"Mama!" Shelby turns to face Santana questioningly, cocking an eyebrow at the look of sudden desperation on her face. "I have to go" Santana tells her.

"Can you hold on one minute while Mama finishes her soup?" Shelby asks, Santana shaking her head no and hopping down from her seat.

"Please, Mama. I _really_ have to go...really, really badly" the latina states urgently, tugging on Shelby's sleeve in an attempt to pull her Mama to her feet. Shelby sighs softly, wondering how Santana could be so desperate considering she was completely fine thirty seconds ago.

"Alright, let's go. Dave..."

"Go. These two will be fine with me" Dave cuts her off, knowing what she had been about to ask. Shelby nods and smiles before allowing herself to be dragged through the restaurant by Santana. Quinn smirks to herself, despite her sister's terrible acting skills, Santana's part of the plan worked. Now all she needs is for Brittany to unknowingly help them out by keeping Dave's attention on her. She sticks her hand in her pockets, feeling her heart beat faster and faster as she touches the little glass bottle and slowly unscrews the lid. Quinn waits until Dave tickles Brittany again before leaning forward and tipping the contents of the bottle into the man's bottle of beer, noticing a waiter watching her as she slips the bottle back into her pocket. The man frowns at her but, thankfully, a family calls him over to their table before he can say or do anything. Quinn glances around her, relaxing slightly when nobody else seems to have seen her and she prays that the waiter decides not to say anything.

"Next time, make sure you really need to go" Quinn hears her Mama say and she turns to see her holding Santana's hand as they make their way back across the restaurant, Santana looking at Quinn anxiously and beaming when her sister nods. "Go back to the table, I'm going to order more drinks. Do you still have enough soda?" Shelby questions, shooing Santana in the direction of the table when the latina nods.

"Santana!" Brittany cheers, grinning from ear to ear as her sister joins them at the table, holding out a fry for the girl to take. Santana eyes the soggy fry for a second before shaking her head.

"No thanks, Britt. I'm full" Santana says, glad when her refusal doesn't hurt Brittany's feelings, the blonde merely shrugging before shoving the fry into her mouth.

"Uh oh" Quinn breathes out, her eyes widening as she watches the waiter walk across to the bar where her Mama is standing. "He saw me!" she hisses in Santana's ear and the little latina turns to stare at her in horror before dramatically dropping her head down on to the table. After all her hard work and _awesome_ acting, Quinn had got caught doing the _easiest_ part of the plan!

"Everything alright, girls?" Dave asks them kindly, glancing at Santana in concern as she lightly thumps her head repeatedly on the table.

"Uh huh!" Quinn replies, a little too quickly and a little too high pitched to be believable. The man watches them curiously as he lifts his bottle of beer from the table, realising that something is happening but not at all sure of what it is exactly. Quinn starts to panic as he places the bottle to his lips and takes a large gulp of beer. Nothing happens for a moment and Santana looks up, excitedly thinking that they had gotten away with it until Dave coughs and splutters, beer spraying from his mouth on to the table cloth.

"Eeeeeeww!" Brittany squeals, screwing her face up in disgust and gazing sadly at her pacifier that lays on the table, covered in beer. "No want!" she states seriously, pointing at it and shaking her head.

"That was _awesome!_" Santana whispers excitedly into Quinn's ear. She frowns when her sister doesn't answer her and she follows her terrified gaze over to the bar, gulping when she sees her Mama talking to the waiter and glaring over at them.

"What the hell was that?!" Dave demands, ignoring Brittany's gasp of horror at his language.

"Hand it over!" Quinn looks up in surprise, how did her Mama get there so quick?! "Right now Quinn or we can go into that bathroom and you can go over my knee!" Shelby adds furiously. Quinn blinks back terrified tears as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out the little bottle, her fuming Mama snatching it from her hand, her scowl deepening when she reads the label. "Hot sauce? You put hot sauce in his beer?" Shelby exclaims and Quinn swears there is steam coming out of her ears.

"Mama, I'm so.."

"Do not speak. Not one word, Quinn!" Shelby bites out, looking angrier than her girls had ever seen her. Santana watches with tear filled eyes as her Mama scolds Quinn, her mama's face so red that the latina is convinced she's going to blow up. Her dark eyes widen as she notices Dave stand up, remembering what she did earlier when she dropped her spoon. Santana breathes heavily, forcing herself not to cry in front of everyone and too scared to say anything as she watches Dave take a step forward. His strangled cry is heard all over the restaurant, every person turning to find him sprawled on the floor as Shelby rushes to help him. It doesn't take her long to work out why he fell over once she spots that his shoelaces are tied together, her furious gaze landing on Santana.

"Uh oh!" Brittany calls out, waving her finger at Santana and Quinn. Santana whimpers and grabs on to Quinn's hand as the other customers slowly go back to their own conversations. Uh oh is right.

_**To be continued.. Thank you for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated :)**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you so much for all of your reviews for the last chapter, I really appreciate them and I love that you guys are still enjoying this story - you make writing these stories even more fun. Thank you!**_

_**R&R please :)**_

Chapter 14

Shelby can't remember a time when she has felt as furious as she does right now. She's pretty sure that her blood is boiling and that steam is pouring from her ears, but what irritates her even more is that she feels slightly bad when she notices the look of pure terror on Santana's face; she doesn't want the girl to ever feel scared of her. Shelby can tell that they are aware of how much trouble they are in by the fact that they haven't even tried to explain their behaviour, normally they'd come up with some sort of excuse. She sighs heavily as she straps Brittany into her stroller, feeling guilty for what her girls did to Dave. The poor guy had still convinced her to allow him to pay for dinner and had even flashed a smile before leaving to go back to his cabin.

"Let's go." her words come out a little harsher than she meant and she internally winces at the panicked look that her two oldest girls share. Then again, they can't expect her to be happy after their awful behaviour. It's slowly getting cooler outside and Shelby picks up her pace a little to get them all home before it gets too cold, Santana automatically holding on to the side of the stroller. "Come on, Quinn," Shelby says evenly, noticing that the girl is trailing behind them. She curses herself as they walk back to their cabin, she had known they were up to something, why hadn't she just trusted her instincts? Brittany is fast asleep in her stroller by the time they reach the cabin and Shelby decides to leave her where she is while she gets the girls ready for bed. She takes her jacket off and lays it over the back of one of the kitchen chairs, turning to see Santana and Quinn watching her, both of them unsure of what to do. "Both of you go get ready for bed. Santana, I will be there to help you in a few minutes."

"It's still light out," Quinn murmurs with a frown.

"Go get ready for bed," Shelby repeats lowly, her eyes flashing angrily. She watches them both rush off to their bedroom, letting out a deep sigh as she leans against the kitchen counter. Shelby knows she is too angry to decide on any form of punishment tonight, let alone act on it. Sending them to bed seems like the best course of action for tonight. She waits for a minute or so before following them into the bedroom, Quinn quickly brushing passed her to brush her teeth, already in her pajamas. Shelby notices Santana struggling with the botton on her jeans and she sighs softly, grabbing a diaper and a pair of pajamas out of the closet. " C'mere," she murmurs, motioning for Santana to stand in front of her, glad that the girl doesn't need to be told twice. Shelby unbuttons Santana's jeans and pull them and her underwear down in one swoop before pulling the little latina's sweater and t'shirt off as well. "Lie down please," Shelby states. Santana does as she's told and Shelby kneels down beside her, lifting Santana's legs so she can put her diaper on.

"Mama, I was dry..I don't need it anymore, I'm a big girl," Santana tells her softly, her deep brown eyes wide and sad.

"I'm not arguing about this, Santana." Santana's lower lip quivers and her eyes fill with tears, Shelby having to force herself to ignore it, reminding herself of the girl's actions tonight to stop herself from taking pity on her. She helps the girl to her feet as soon as her diaper is on and helps her into her pajamas, purposely ignoring Santana's pleading eyes. "Go brush your teeth," Shelby says as Quinn walks back into the room, watching as Santana shuffles out of the bedroom.

"Mama, it was my fault..Santana didn't do..."

"Do not lie to me, Quinn Lucy Fabray!" Shelby snaps, glaring deep into hazel eyes. "You are already in so much trouble, do not make it worse for yourself," she adds. "Now, come here," the woman says, beckoning her oldest over to her. Quinn chews on her bottom lip as she slowly crosses the room to stand in front of her mother, expecting to be spanked or, at the very least, scolded. "I'm very angry and we will be discussing this properly in the morning but right now, you need to go to bed. I love you," Shelby murmurs, pressing a kiss to Quinn's forehead.

"I love you too, Mama," Quinn mumbles. She gently nudges her in the direction of the bunk beds and watches as the blonde girl climbs up to the top bunk. Shelby waits patiently for Santana to come back from the bathroom before guiding her across to the bottom bunk and tucking her in with a kiss to the head.

"I love you," Shelby states quietly.

"I love you too," Santana whispers sadly, watching silently as her mama leaves the room, closing the door behind her. "I don't like this, Quinn," she whimpers. "Mama is really, really mad. What if she doesn't want to be our mama anymore?" Santana asks fearfully, her features crumpling as tears leak from her dark eyes. Quinn frowns deeply and she silently slides across to the ladder and climbs down. "What are you doing? You're gonna make her madder," the little latina chokes out.

"Please stop crying, mama is just upset," Quinn says in a terrified voice, she had never seen her little sister look so scared and sad before. "Mama still loves us, she is just really mad because we did something really naughty," she adds, crawling into bed with her sister and holding her close. "It's okay, Santana, honest. I can go get her," Quinn offers.

"No! No, she'll get more mad. Please don't go," the younger girl begs, hiccuping as she buries her face in her big sister's shoulder.

"Okay, I'm not going anywhere," Quinn reassures the upset latina, growing more worried about her by the second. "Try and sleep, mama will talk to us in the morning and you'll see that everything is okay," she murmurs as reassuringly as she can. Quinn wriggles further down the bed until her head is next to Santana's on the pillow, kissing the other girl's raven hair. She softly sings to her, the same song that her mama always sang to them when they were upset or unable to sleep, only stopping when she is sure that Santana is asleep.

0-00-0

Shelby groans as she wakes up, her neck stiff and her legs cramped. She cracks her eyes open and winces against the glare of the television that is showing late night infomercials. It takes her a few moments to realise that she's not in bed but on the small sofa in the livingroom. Shelby looks down at her watch and sees that it's a little after midnight, realising she must have been asleep for a good few hours. She groggily forces herself to her feet and switches the tv off before making her way to the door and making sure that it's locked. Making her way to the kitchen, she frowns when she hears movement, the girls should all be fast asleep by now. She peeks into the room and notices Santana leaning against the counter, waiting for the kettle to boil. Shelby can tell by the sweatpants with no diaper bulge and tanktop that Santana is wearing and the way the girl stands rigidly with her arms folded that this is adult Santana.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" Santana jumps in surprise when she hears Shelby's voice and she glances up at her in surprise before schooling her features again. Shelby swears she can see the teenager's walls building back up around her. She glances at the things Santana has taken out of the cupboards and shoos her over to the table, taking over from her. Santana remains silent even once Shelby joins her at the table and slides a mug of hot chocolate to her, the woman sipping her own while watching the latina carefully. "Talk to me, Santana," she murmurs. "What's going on inside that beautiful head of yours?"

"Are you mad?" Santana questions softly, her eyes vulnerable.

"With you? No. With little Santana, yes..furious, her little butt is in danger of receiving a serious roasting," Shelby says, her tone playful. She frowns when Santana's expression stays serious. "Come on...talk to me," Shelby pleads.

"Are you mad enough with her to not be her mama anymore?" Shelby's eyes widen at the question and Santana muses that it would look comical if the situation wasn't so terrifying and heartbreaking for her.

"Why would you even ask that? Santana, you are my daughter...not just little Santana. You girls are my everything," Shelby states seriously. "I'm furious but every mother is at some point. I know I was a little cold when I put you guys to bed but I made sure to tell you that I love you both. I was just so angry, I didn't trust myself to deal with the situation tonight. I never punish any of you if I'm not calm," she explains passionately. "I love you, Santana. There is nothing that either you or that little terror version of yourself could do to change that. Why do you think **you** have been over my knee before, huh?"

"Because I was being an ass," Santana shrugs.

"Well, that," Shelby chuckles, "that and because I felt it was my place to discipline you, because I feel like your mother as well as little Santana's mother," she states warmly. "Don't ever question me like that again if you know what's good for your behind," she adds, her face and voice stern but Santana can swear she sees a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just...it felt really intense and I panicked," Santana mumbles, feeling a little embarrassed about her small freak out.

"I know," the woman responds, "and that's perfectly okay. Don't be scared to come to me if you need **anything**, even if it's just reassurance, and that goes for both of you," Shelby says. "Promise me that if you ever feel like that again then you'll come to me," she adds tenderly. She watches as Santana's dark, almost black, eyes fill with tears as she nods and Shelby stands up, pulling the latina to her feet and engulfing her in a huge maternal hug.

"I love you, mom," Santana whispers as she swipes at the tears that cling to her eyelashes.

"I love you too, honey," Shelby swears. "Maybe we should head to bed now, you look exhausted and I know I am as well," she murmurs.

"Um..could I maybe crash with you?" Santana asks, her voice quiet and she ducks her head shyly.

"Of course," Shelby states instantly. "I'll be right there, I just need to turn everything off and get changed. Just try not to wake Britt, she hates that crib and it took me an hour to get her to sleep," she adds. Santana nods and Shelby watches as she heads to the bedroom, shaking her head in slight amusement. She sighs lightly as she cleans up their mugs, thinking about what kind of punishment she can hand out to her little trouble makers. No matter what age her girls were, they certainly weren't boring to be around.

_**To be continued... Please leave a review to let me know what you think. Thank you for reading, the next chapter will be up soon :)**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you very much for all of your amazing reviews for this story so far, I appreciate them all :)**_

_**This will be updated every Thursday for the next little while. Hope you enjoy them!**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 15

Shelby sighs softly as she carefully sits down on the edge of the double bed, holding her mug of coffee close to her chest as she watches Santana sleep. Concern clouds her eyes as she notices the frowned etched across Santana's features while she sleeps. Shelby would be lying to herself if she said that Santana's small breakdown the night before hadn't scared her. Seeing someone who is usually so strong and kept together fall apart like that, and to hear her whispered insecurities destroyed Shelby. Her heart had cracked open inside of her chest and a giant lump had risen in her throat when she had held the terrified girl. She prays that Santana has taken her words to heart, that the teenager believes that nothing stop her from wanting to be her mama. Truth be told, Shelby doesn't know where she'd be without her girls, both them as teenagers and as children. The three of them are so special to her and Shelby had always thought that she had done enough to portray that to them, that they knew how much she loves them; apparently not. A small whimper pulls Shelby from her thoughts and she looks over at the crib to find Brittany blearily watching her. She adorably rubs her eyes with her fists and grins around her pacifier at her mama. Groggily, Brittany pushes herself into a seated position, gently bumping her palm against the bars of the crib.

"Up, mama?" she asks sweetly, the corner of her eyes crinkling as she cutely smiles at Shelby.

"Sure, baby," Shelby smiles, standing up and placing her, now empty, mug on the bedside table. "Good morning, sweet girl," she coos as she pulls at the child lock on the crib and pulls the side open. She chuckles when Brittany all but flies into her arms.

"Hungry," Brittany whines into her mama's shoulder.

"Shh, we don't want to wake Santana up," Shelby tells her gently. Brittany looks over at the bed curiously, her brow wrinkling with a concerned frown.

"Why?" she asks, pointing at her big sister who is still fast asleep in their mama's bed.

"She just need some mama snuggles, she's okay," Shelby reassures her. "Come on, we'll go get your diaper changed and then have some breakfast." Santana waits until she is completely sure that her mama and Brittany are out of the room before she opens her eyes and stops pretending to sleep. She had felt her mama's eyes on her a little while ago and it had taken every ounce of will she had in her to stay still. Santana knows that she is in major trouble with her mama and there's no chance she's getting out of bed to face it until she knows Quinn is out of bed too. Quinn will make her feel better and she'll go out to see mama with her. Quinn won't let her be scolded on her own.

0-00-0

Quinn yawns as she wakes up, looking around in confusion when she realises she's in Santana's bed. Why is she in Santana's bed? Oh...yeah.. Santana was panicking. Where is she? Santana usually waits for her if they're both in trouble, which is most of the time. Quinn doesn't like it when she doesn't know what is going on.

"Mama is gonna still be really mad," she whispers to herself. She listens carefully, hearing her mama talking to Brittany in the kitchen. Santana's in mama's bed? When did she go there? She pushes herself out of bed, waiting patiently until she is extra sure that her mama is sitting down with Brittany...waiting for the perfect moment to run to her mama's bedroom to see Santana. She's sad that she let this happen, she's the big sister...she's supposed to look out for Santana, not help her get into trouble.

"Mama." Quinn can't help but smile when she hears Brittany's impatient food, that girl really does love her food. She doesn't like waiting for it though! Quinn can hear the microwave turn on, mama must be fixing some milk for Brittany...she'll be able to make her escape soon!

"One minute, baby girl, just hold on," she hears Shelby respond patiently. Mama always has lots of patience with all of them. That's how Quinn knows they really screwed up last night, mama had been _really_ mad. Like, _really_ mad. She hears one of the kitchen chairs scrape on the floor and Brittany's excited squeal. She has her milk. Mama is sitting down. Now! Go now!

0-00-0

"Hi." Speak of the devil. Santana smiles weakly at her big sister as the girl quietly moves across the room and sits down on the bed, her blonde hair mussed from sleep and her hazel eyes tired and worried. "Are you okay?"

"Mama spoke to big girl Santana last night," Santana states with a nod. "We're in a lot of trouble, do you think mama will spank us?" she asks in a small voice.

"Maybe..I don't know," Quinn whispers, trying to hide the fact that she's nervous about it from her little sister.

"I don't want a spanking, Quinn."

"Neither do I. Mama knows best though," Quinn murmurs.

"Yes, I do." Both girls jump in surprise when they hear their Mama's voice and they turn to gaze at her guiltily. "You girls have a lot of work to do today so get out of bed and come have some breakfast with your sister and I," Shelby tells them, she had been well aware that Santana had only been pretending to sleep.

"Yes, mama," Quinn mumurs. Santana frowns as she goes to bed out of bed, freezing suddenly with tears in her eyes. Shelby gazes at her carefully for a moment before realising what the problem is.

"Quinn, go get some cereal for yourself and Brittany," Shelby murmurs. She waits until her eldest is out of the bedroom before turning to gaze sympathetically at Santana. "Did you have an accident?" she asks gently. She inwardly curses herself when Santana nods tearfully. It hadn't even crossed her mind last night that this might happen. She hasn't realised that, even though it was adult Santana who wanted to sleep next to her, little Santana may have been the one to wake up. That's exactly what happened. "Alright, sweetheart, let's get you cleaned up." Santana slowly climbs out of bed, fat tears rolling down her face as her wet sweatpants cling to her body.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Santana asks nervously.

"Why wouldn't I be nice to you, honey?" Shelby questions in confusion.

"I was bad," Santana whimpers.

"Oh, sweetheart, just because you were naughty doesn't mean I'm not going to help you when you need it or look after you properly," Shelby states. "You _are_ in trouble and you _will _be punished but I'll always be nice to you, baby."

"I'm sorry, mama, I didn't mean to wet your bed," Santana whispers.

"You don't need to apologise, sweet girl," Shelby responds gently, kissing Santana's forehead. "It was an accident and Mama should have put your diaper back on last night," she explains, helping Santana to pull her sweatpants and panties down before tugging the girl's t'shirt off. Santana shivers as she stands naked in her mama's temporary bedroom, watching as Shelby heads into the bathroom to start running a bath for her. She can hear Quinn talking to Brittany as they eat their breakfast and her tummy grumbles. Would mama let her eat breakfast in the bath? "Okay, babe, come here," Shelby calls for her and she scampers into the bathroom. Her mama helps her into the bath and watches carefully until Santana is safely sitting down.

"Thank you, mama."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Shelby smiles. "You start washing yourself while I go put the sheets in the washing machine. I'll be back in a few minutes to help you do your hair."

"Mama, I really hungry. Can I..."

"No," Shelby states knowingly, "you're not eating your breakfast in the tub." Santana's eyes go wide, how did she know?! "Mama knows everything, don't you forget that."

0-00-0

Quinn sends Santana a reassuring smile when she joins them at the table, guessing that Santana had had an accident. Brittany grins at them both, happy that both her sisters are with her and she offers Santana some soggy cereal.

"Thanks, B," Santana smiles, shoving the spoon into her mouth and then offering Brittany some of her cereal too. Quinn rolls her eyes at their matching grins, they have the exact same kind of cereal as each other.

"Great sharing, guys," Shelby praises them as she sits down at the table. She winks at Brittany and accepts the spoon as she, too, is offered some of the girl's breakfast. "So, I want to talk about what happened last night," Shelby states, Santana's grin sliding from her face. "I would like to know why you girls pulled those pranks on David. Those kind of pranks can be very dangerous, what if he had choked when he drank the hot sauce? What if he had been seriously hurt when he tripped over his tied shoelaces?"

"We didn't want him to get hurt, mama," Quinn murmurs.

"Yeah! We just wanted him to go away!" Santana exclaims. The glare that Quinn shoots in her direction tells Santana that she wasn't supposed to say that.

"What do you mean by that?" Shelby asks them, her hazel eyes narrowed curiously.

"He's around a lot," Santana mumbles, "this is supposed to be our 'cation."

"You don't want him hanging around while we're on vacation?" Shelby questions. The girls, even Brittany, all nod. "Well, why didn't you just tell me that?" she asks.

"We thought you'd get mad," Quinn mutters and Shelby stares at her as though she is insane.

"But you thought I wouldn't get mad about you pulling dangerous pranks?!"

"You weren't supposed to know it was us," Quinn shrugs. Well, at least she's honest.

"Who else would it have been, Quinn?" Shelby shakes her head in disbelief and sucks in a calming breath. "For your stunt last night, you will be spending the whole of today helping David. He's gonna give you some chores to do while Brittany and I spend the day at the pool," Shelby explains, watching as both of her troublemakers pout. "Then, when we get home Quinn, you will be doing the washing up every night. Santana, you will be helping her." Shelby doesn't want to spend the whole of their vacation punishing them and, at least this way, continuing it at home will leave a lasting impression on them.

"We're sorry, mama," Quinn states sincerely.

"Yeah, mama, we're real sorry," Santana adds.

"You need to tell David that and if you mess around today and don't do what he tells you then you will be going to bed with very sore bottoms tonight. The same will happen if you ever try this sort of thing again, do you understand me?"

"Yes, mama," they both respond in unison.

"Good. Now I have something else I want to talk to all three of you about," Shelby begins. "Once we get back home, I'm going to spend one night a week with each of you...just spending time with each of you on your own. We have have some quality doing something together. The first night will be Quinn and I. Big girl Brittany will look after you, Santana."

"I get you all to myself?" Quinn asks excitedly. "Just you and me?!"

"Yep. All three of you will get to spend some time with me all by yourselves, would you all like that?"

"I would really love that, mama!" Quinn exclaims with an almost manic grin on her face, her hazel eyes shining.

"Me too!" Santana chimes in, her earlier pout completely gone.

"Britt and Mama?" Brittany asks softly.

"Yeah, baby girl, Brittany and mama," Shelby smiles.

"Yay!" Brittany raises her hands excitedly, chunks of soggy cereal flying all over the table. "Oops!"

_**To be continued...**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Happy Glee day! Thanks for all of the great reviews for the last chapter!**_

_**R&R please**_

Chapter 16

Shelby watches, from her place on one of the benches in the main courtyard, as Santana politely hands a flyer to a woman, shyly smiling at the boy with her. Her smile falters when he offers her his pacifier and Shelby can see that Santana is doing her best to not looked completely grossed out. Quinn comes to her rescue by yelling for her, Santana immediately sprinting back to her sister. Shelby can see David standing next to Quinn, the man tapping her on the shoulder and pointing across the courtyard to where Shelby is sitting, Brittany fast asleep in her stroller next to her. She chuckles when Santana and Quinn both excitedly wave to her, instantly waving back to her grinning kids. She notices that Dave nods and, before she knows it, Quinn is sprinting towards her while Santana hangs back, dutifully taking David's hand and walking with him.

"Hi, mama!" Quinn exclaims happily, placing a sloppy kiss on Shelby's cheek.

"Hey, sweetheart," Shelby smiles, "are you working hard?" she questions, realising that the girls are having a lot of fun with their 'punishment' and shaking her head in disbelief.

"Yeah! We're handing out flyers for the party tomorrow."

"Oh yeah? Let me see one of those," Shelby says, taking one of the flyers out of Quinn's hand. She quickly skims over it, noticing that it's not quite what she had been expecting.

"It's for mamas and daddies," Quinn explains, "so that they can have some fun on their own too."

"Mama! You should go," Santana states with grin as she and David reach them, the girl slumping down on her mama's lap and causing Shelby to let out an unladylike grunt.

"Yeah! Big girl Brittany could babysit!" Quinn informs Shelby with a smile, her hazel eyes twinkling.

"You should go with Dave, mama!" Shelby looks at Santana in surprise.

"I have to agree with that, you should definitely go with me," David smirks.

"Well, I guess I'll have to get back to you about that," Shelby says slyly, Dave realising she needs to speak with her girls in private first.

"Great, just let me know. I have to go work behind the bar for the lunchtime rush so you girls can take your lunch break," David winks, happily giving Santana a high five when she holds her hand up. "See you soon. In about an hour?" Dave directs that last part at Shelby.

"They'll be here," Shelby confirms, a warm smile playing on her lips. She watches appreciatively as David walks away before shaking her head at herself, get control of yourself, Shelby.

"Mama, I am _starving_," Santana announces. "My tummy is gonna eat itself," she adds seriously.

"Alright, let's go get some lunch then," Shelby chuckles, standing up and motioning for Quinn and Santana to hold on to either side of the stroller as she pushes it. "So, why do you want mama to go to the dance with David so badly?" she asks as they walk across the courtyard, heading for the small cafe that is located in the middle of it.

"Because he is really cool, mama. He didn't even stay mad at us for," Quinn hesitates, "what we did. He's really funny too and he has been real nice to us."

"Yeah, and he keeps looking at you with googly eyes," Santana interrupts, "the same way you look at him, which means you like each other. Right, Quinn?"

"Yep!"

"I see," Shelby laughs, "does this mean you won't be pulling any more mean pranks on him?"

"We won't. Ever," Santana promises, her face and voice deadly serious.

"I'm very glad to hear that," Shelby nods. "I'll think about it. Maybe big girl Brittany would like a little trial run before she has to babysit at home. I'll have to ask her first, though, we can't just say that she's going to do it...it's her decision."

"Will you ask her soon please, mama?" Santana asks impatiently.

"I'll ask her later, baby," Shelby responds, smiling gratefully at the man who holds the cafe door open for her. "But, only if both of you promise me you'll behave yourselves and do everything she tells you too. I'm gonna be nearby and, if Brittany calls me, it won't take long for me to come back if I need to," she explains warningly. Santana and Quinn share a look, they both know what will happen if their mama has to come back early.

0-00-0

Shelby stares into the mirror and sighs, gently dropping the curling iron down and scowling. Every single day, her looks perfect. The one day she has a date, it refuses to co-operate. Typical. She worries her bottom lip with her teeth and gazes at her reflection in the bathroom mirror for a moment before touching up her make up.

"You look really great, mom." Shelby smiles at Brittany in the mirror and shrugs.

"My hair is kinda failing," Shelby sighs.

"Here, let me," Brittany murmurs, stepping behind Shelby and picking the curling iron up. "You seem pretty nervous."

"I am."

"Don't be. You're awesome, everyone knows that," Brittany states sincerely as she works on Shelby's hair. "David seems like a great guy, little Santana seems to be his best friend now and that says a lot," she adds with a small grin.

"That's true," Shelby chuckles. "Although, it's a little disappointing that they seemed to enjoy their punishment, I wasn't expecting that. At least they still managed to learn their lesson," she sighs. "Are you sure you're okay with doing this? I know it's a lot to ask."

"Yeah, it's totally fine. If anything, I'm actually looking forward to it," Brittany shrugs. "I've never seen them as their little selves through my adult eyes before."

"They're kind of a handful, but I have threatened their backsides several times since you agrees to do it," Shelby states. "Don't be afraid to put your foot down. If they don't behave then just swat their butts and send them to bed," Shelby encourages. "I'm only down the street, I can be home quickly if you need me to be."

"Relax. It will be fine," Brittany replies softly, "and your date will be more than fine," she adds.

"I hope so," Shelby mutters.

"There, it looks perfect," Brittany states, placing the curling iron and taking a step back to scrutinise Shelby with a smile. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks, babe," Shelby responds with a grin. "Okay, so are you sure..."

"Mom! It's fine. I'm sure, I promise," Brittany interrupts with a roll of her blue eyes. "Now, come on, come hang out with us before David gets here." Shelby and Brittany walk back to the living room together, finding Santana and Quinn bickering on the sofa as they try to decide what DVD to watch.

"Wow, mama, you look real pretty!" Santana exclaims, sliding off of the sofa and skipping towards Shelby.

"Thank you, baby girl. What you are guys arguing about?" Shelby questions.

"I'm bored but Santana won't let me change the channel because she's watching the stu...silly Batman cartoon," Quinn complains.

"It doesn't matter what's on television, Brittany is taking you both out for dinner and then to the arcade," Shelby explains. She figures there would be less chance of Quinn or Santana getting into mischief if they have some distractions.

"Yay! I'll go get my cape!" Santana squeals, scampering from the living room as quickly as her mama will let her away with. Shelby takes some money out of her purse and hands it to Brittany, her head whipping around when there's a loud knock at the door. "I'll get it...let me get it!" they hear Santana yelling from the bedroom, the girl sprinting passed them a moment later, her cape flying behind her. "Hi Dave!" she exclaims as she rips the door open, hugging the man tightly. "You should see my mama, she looks _so_ pretty," Santana informs him, taking his hand and dragging him inside.

"It's nice to see you too, Santana," Dave chuckles. "Whoa, Hi, Shelby. You look beautiful," he states sincerely.

"Thanks, you look pretty great yourself," Shelby smiles.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, definitely. Alright girls, behave. Listen to Brittany and remember, I'm not gonna be very far away," Shelby reminds Santana and Quinn.

"We know, mama," Quinn sighs as Shelby kisses her forehead. "We'll be good, I promise." Shelby shoots her a wink before turning to Brittany and kissing her cheek.

"I bet you're really good at giving piggy back rides, huh?" she hears Santana say to Dave and she rolls her eyes. From hating him and playing on pranks one minute, to trying to sweet talk her way into a piggy back ride the next.

"I tell you what, right now I have plans with your mama but, tomorrow you can have a piggy back ride. Does that sound okay?" Dave questions kindly.

"Yeah!"

"But...only if you're good tonight, because I only give them to good girls," Dave winks.

"I'll be the bestest behaved girl ever, promise!"

0-00-0

Brittany tightens her grip on Santana's hand as she guides the girl through the big crowd inside the arcade, keeping an on Quinn as she skips ahead of them. She can feel Santana attempting to pull out of her grasp, but she is well aware of Santana's habit of wandering so she merely ignores the attempts. The arcade is full of the retreat's on staff babysitters, babysitters that clearly have no idea how to control excitable youngsters.

"Santana!" Brittany finally snaps, the ninth sharp tug to her arm proving to be too much. "Stop pulling, I don't want to lose you."

"But Quinn is way up ahead," Santana argues.

"Santana, the answer is no. Stop pulling my arm, or we can find an empty corner for you to stand in," Brittany stares firmly. "Would you like that?"

"No," Santana grumbles, her bottom lip puffing out in an adorable pout.

"Well then, behave." Brittany gently guides Santana through the crowd of loud, obnoxious children and their flustered babysitters. Brittany glances down at Santana and sighs softly, she looks so damn sad. "Hey, c'mere," she murmurs. Brittany stops and bends down suddenly, much to the irritation of the people who are walking behind her. "Jump on, little lady," Brittany states in her best southern accent, winking at Santana. Santana lets out a giggle and clambers onto Brittany's back, hooking her feet together in front of Brittany's stomach and grasping her shoulders tightly. "Okay, let's go catch up with Quinn, where did she go?" Brittany asks in an animated voice.

"That way!" Santana yells out, pointing in the direction of the driving games.

"Good job, Santana," Brittany praises. "Be careful that you don't kick anyone," she adds when she notices that Santana almost takes out a woman that is trying to walk passed them. They eventually catch up with Quinn as she impatiently waits for them besides the token machine nearest to the games she wants to play.

"You took ages, just push people out of the way," Quinn tells Brittany as though it is the mos obvious thing in the world.

"Would mama let you push people if she were here?" Brittany asks her pointedly, already knowing the answer.

"No," Quinn huffs. "Sorry, Brittany."

"That's alright, honey, just try and remember the rules, okay? Mama's rules are still in place," Brittany explains as she bends down, Santana hopping off from her back and sprinting towards a shooting game.

"Can I ask you something, Britt?"

"Of course you can, what's up," Brittany asks softly, her blue eyes concerned.

"Can we hang out more...I mean...you...big girl Brittany, can we hang out more? I really like having a big sister. I love little you lots but I love you, too, and it makes me sad that I don't get to see my big sister much," Quinn murmurs sadly. Brittany instantly feels guilty, she knows exactly where Quinn is coming from. Any time Brittany is her adult self, she spends it with adult Santana or adult Quinn...hardly ever with little Quinn.

"I'm sorry I made you feel so sad, sweetheart. I _promise_ you that we'll spend more time together," Brittany swears, "and hey, when mama and Santana have their nights together, we can both hang out on our own too...just you and me," she smiles, glancing across at Santana as brandishes the plastic gun at the screen. "Now, I'm not abandoning you, I'm just gonna go and get Santana because she is far too young to be playing that game, alright?"

"Alright. Thanks, Britt," Quinn murmurs, throwing her arms around the older girl's neck in a tight hug.

"Don't thank me, babe," Brittany murmurs back, still feeling guilty for making Quinn sad. "Santana!" she calls out as she regretfully pulls away from Quinn and walks across to Santana. "You know you're not allowed to play that game," she scolds.

"Die, Zombie, die!"

_**To be continued...Please review.**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**I'm thinking about posting a special chapter of this on Christmas eve, what do you guys think? ;)**_

Chapter 17

The last full day of their vacation comes much too quickly for Shelby's liking. This vacation had been heaven for her and her girls, she has loved watching them completely fall into their little roles without having to worry about places that were safe for them to go. Even the night that Quinn and Santana had pulled their pranks hadn't ruined this vacation, if anything, that night had made her love her girls even more and get to know them even more. Santana's insecurities had been brought forward and she had solved the guilt she had felt about not spending an equal amount of time with all of them. Even now, as she gently cradles a whimpering Santana on the sofa in the middle of night, their vacation still feels perfect. Even though she knows Santana will be tired all day tomorrow due to being awake now, probably too tired to fully appreciate their last full day, yet...it's still perfect.

"Maaaaama!" Shelby sighs when she hears Quinn's voice floating through from the bedroom for the third time in less than an hour. She _knew_ this would happen. She had come home from her second date with David to find Quinn crashed out on the sofa and Santana watching a slasher movie on tv, Brittany had been in the kitchen digging into a box of cookies. Unfortunately, by the time Shelby had found her Brittany had eaten most of the box. Now, Shelby has one child refusing to sleep in case the 'man with the sharp fingers' came to get her, a child on a sugar high at two in the morning and a teenager who is tearing the place apart to look for a misplaced cape. "Maaaaaama!"

"I'll back in a second, babe," Shelby murmurs to Santana as she untangles her from the sniffling girl and makes her way to Brittany. She walks into the bedroom to find Brittany attempting to climb out of her crib and she rushes forward. "Brittany Susan Pierce! You know you're not supposed to do that. It's too dangerous," Shelby scolds and Brittany gazes up at her with tear filled eyes. It's very rare for Brittany to be told off but when she is, she doesn't like it. Not one bit, and Shelby always feel guilty as hell when she is faced with Brittany's sad, blue eyes. "Don't cry, sweetheart, mama was scared that you'd hurt yourself," Shelby murmurs as she unclips the latch on the crib and opens it up, Brittany immediately throwing herself into her arms. "Mama's told you about climbing before, hasn't she?"

"Uh huh," Brittany mumbles, rubbing her face into Shelby's sweater. "No sleep," she adds sadly.

"You can't sleep? That's what happens when you're naughty and steal all the cookies," Shelby states pointedly, guiding Brittany over to the double bed and sitting down with her. "All that sugar isn't a good idea before bedtime."

"Mom, I can't find Santana's cape anywhere," Quinn states as she rushes into the room. "Seriously, I checked the whole place."

"She had it before I left," Shelby sighs. "Where was she playing with it?"

"I don't know, she had it when we were watching tv then the next thing I knew you were waking me up," Quinn murmurs. "I'm sorry, mom. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's alright, honey. It was an accident, I've done it a few times myself," Shelby reassures her as Santana sprints into the room, panic all over her face and fresh tears streaming from her dark eyes.

"He's coming, mama!" Santana cries, throwing herself onto the bed and gripping on to Shelby as tightly as she can, her body shaking as she sobs terrified tears into her mama's shoulder.

"Sweetheart, nobody's coming. I promise," Shelby murmurs, lifting her arm and pulling Santana close to her body, patting her butt soothingly. "It's just a movie, it's not real."

"I want my caaaape," Santana whimpers through her sobs.

"I know, sweetie, but we can't find it," Shelby states regretfully, doing her best to comfort the hiccuping girl while trying to keep Brittany calm as well.

"Who?" Brittany asks nervously.

"The man with the sharp haaaands," Santana wails.

"Mama! Scared!" Shelby sighs as she takes in Brittany's petrified stare and she looks over at Quinn for some help.

"I'll keep looking for your cape, Santana, okay?" Quinn keeps her tone light in an attempt to reassure her little sister, knowing that she won't be able to relax until she has her cape. Santana doesn't respond, she doesn't care that she's looking for it...she wants it _now_! Shelby gently rocks her two youngest while humming a lullaby, dreading the next few nights now that Santana is too scared to go to bed..even with her night light. As soon as she notices that Brittany is struggling to keep her eyes open, Shelby calls Quinn back into the room and asks her to go get some pajamas for Brittany and Santana.

"I don't want to go to bed!" Santana cries out, her face crumpling as even more tears drip down her cheeks.

"I didn't say you were, baby girl, I'm just getting you ready," Shelby murmurs softly. "You need to let mama stand up for a couple of minutes, I need to change your sister's diaper," she adds gently. Thankfully, Santana nods and lets go of her, but still sticks right by her side as she nervously glances around your room. "Mama's right here, and so is Quinn," Shelby says kindly as Quinn walks in with pajamas for the two younger girls. Santana fingers wrap around her mama's belt as she changes Brittany's diaper, making it extremely difficult for Shelby to move.

"Come here, honey," Quinn requests quietly, holding her hand out for Santana to take, frowning when Santana shakes her head no and scoots even closer to Shelby.

"Santana, mama can't move," Shelby sighs, "C'mon, big girl, go sit with Quinn while I help Brittany," she tells her, growing a little frustrated with the girl. Of course, she hates that Santana feels so scared but she can't help but feel a tiny bit angry. Santana knows that she's not supposed to watch those kind of movies, knows that an adult is supposed to approve her movie choices. She sighs softly as she tapes Brittany's diaper closed and helps her to stand up. It doesn't take long to get Brittany dressed in her onesie and settled back into her crib, the girl too tired to complain and falling asleep within minutes. Shelby takes a hold of Santana's hand and grabs her pajamas before leading she and Quinn back to the living room. Santana's bottom lip trembles as her mama sits on the sofa. "Stand here," Shelby murmurs, gesturing in front of her and leaning forward. Santana sniffles quietly as her mama strips her of her clothes, sobs building in volume when she spots the pull-up next to her pajamas.

"Mama, no," Santana whines. "I don't need it," she sobs and Shelby sighs. They were compromising by using pull-ups instead of the same diapers as Brittany but Santana still isn't happy.

"Yes, you do," Shelby corrects her. "I'm not having this argument every night night, Santana. You either step into this pull-up right now or I will put you over my knee," Shelby threatens.

"Mom, she's scared," Quinn murmurs, surprised that the woman is using a spanking threat already. It usually took much more than this.

"She wouldn't be if she hadn't watched a movie that she knew she wouldn't be allowed to watch," Shelby remarks, regretting it immediately when Santana bursts into tears again and finds refuge in Quinn's arms. "Santana, I'm sorry. Come here, sweetheart. Mama's sorry she got so mad." Santana eyes her carefully, her bottom lip jutting out in an adorable pout as she shuffles over to her mama, shivering slightly due to her lack of clothes. "You need to wear the pull-up, sweetheart," Shelby states gently, holding it out for Santana to step into and smiling when the girl complies. "Good girl, thank you," Shelby praises.

"Are you mad at me, mama?" Santana asks quietly while Quinn makes herself scarce and heads into the kitchen.

"A little bit," Shelby admits. "Now do you understand why I don't allow you to watch movies like that?"

"Uh huh, I didn't like it. It was really scary, mama," Santana whimpers as Shelby helps her into her pajama top. I promise I won't ever watch one of those movies again."

"I am very glad to hear that, babe," Shelby murmurs, sliding her girl's pajama pants up her legs and patting her lap, signalling for Santana to sit there. Santana does so, and snuggles close to her mama, gripping on to the soft wool of Shelby's sweater.

"I'm sorry, mama."

"I know you are, it's okay. Next time, wait until you're told it's okay to watch it," Shelby says lowly and firmly as she wraps her arms around Santana and kisses her cheek.

"Are you gonna punish me?" Santana questions nervously, playing with a loose thread on Shelby's sweater.

"No, not this time. I think you've punished yourself enough. If I ever catch you watching something like that again, your little butt will pay for it. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, mama," Santana murmurs.

"Look what I found," Quinn exclaims as she rushes back into the living room, brandishing Santana's cape and looking extremely proud of herself. "It was inside one of the kitchen cupboards," she says, handing it to Santana and chuckling when she hugs it close to her. "Brittany must have been using your cape while she was stealing all of the cookies," she adds, tickling Santana's foot and eliciting a cute giggle from her.

"What do you say to Quinn, honey?" Shelby coaxes Santana, looking down at her with a pointed expression.

"Thank you for finding my cape, Quinn!" Santana grins.

"You're welcome, cutie," Quinn replies kindly, slumping down on the sofa next to them with a relieved sigh. Crisis over.

0-00-0

Shelby grins as Brittany splashes her, the girl beaming in delight when her mama splashes her back. She frantically kicks her feet as fast as she can to escape from her mama as Shelby stalks towards her, her floaties keeping her safe even when she manages to put a little distance between herself and Shelby. Shelby chuckles as she watches Brittany attempt to hide behind Santana and Quinn, her big sisters betraying her at last second and splashing her.

"No fair!" Brittany shouts, albeit with a huge grin on her face. "Help?" she asks Quinn. "Help?" Quinn laughs and nods, quickly swimming back over to her little sister and helping her escape from their mama. Shelby quickly changes direction lunges towards Santana, the young girl almost swallowing half of the pool as she dives out of the way.

"Quick, Santana, the mama monster will get you!" Quinn yells out and Shelby playfully scowls at her oldest. Mama monster? What a brat. She ducks as a beach ball, that she recognises as Santana's, flies towards her but she ducks a second too late and it hits lightly slaps against her head; much to the amusement of her girls. Shelby dramatically falls down, floating on her back and trying not to move.

"Go see if the mama monster is dead," she hears Quinn whisper to Santana.

"No way! You do it!" Santana instantly responds.

"All!" Brittany shouts out seriously.

"Yeah, we'll all do it," Quinn agrees and the three of them join hands, cautiously edging towards the mama monster. Shelby bites her lip to stop herself from smiling as she listens to the soft splashing that tells her that her girls are getting closer to her. She waits until she can't actually feel them standing next to her before jumping up and grabbing the person closest to her, Quinn squealing loudly.

"Run, Britt!" Santana yells, pulling Brittany away from their mama, giggling manically.

"Quinn!" Brittany shouts, pointing at their sister as though to tell Santana that they can't leave her, a deep frown on her face.

"Save yourselves!" Quinn dramatically calls out, "I'm done for, the mama monster has me!"

"You thought you could beat the mama monster? The mama monster always wins," Shelby cries out, doing her best evil laugh as she tickles Quinn's tummy. Shelby can't keep the grin from her face as she listens to all three of her girls laughing, her own laugh bubbling from her throat as Santana and Brittany have a change of heart and charge towards her, splashing her as much as they can; kick staring an epic battle. Shelby's sad that they leave tomorrow morning, she wishes she could have days like this everyday. Days where her girls can be their adorable little selves even while out in the open. Days where their little family can be accepted at all times. Yes, this vacation had been exactly what they needed, and so much more.

"Don't worry, I'll save you!" Shelby looks up in surprise when she hears David's voice, the man peeling his shirt off and clambering into the shallow pool. Santana hysterically giggles as she pulled away from her mama, David gently, but dramatically throwing her into the water before doing the same to Quinn. He laughs lightly when Brittany pouts and frantically shakes her head, being thrown in the pool is much too scary for her thank you very much. "Are you gonna help us get your sisters?" he asks with a kind smile, understanding that she doesn't want to be thrown.

"Yes!" Brittany cheers.

"Alright, baby girl, go get them," Shelby encourages her with a smile, laughing when Brittany turns to face her big sister, her hands on her hips and her blue eyes narrowed.

"We're not scared!" Santana yells, letting out a squeal as Brittany, David and the mama monster suddenly lurch towards her and Quinn, swimming away as fast as she can. Not scared, indeed.

_**To be continued...let me know what you think :)**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!**_

Chapter 18

Shelby smiles as she watches Santana drag a large, badly wrapped present out of her bedroom; the girl wearing a proud smile. Santana's eyes widen when she spots her mama, and she jumps in front of the present as though to hide it from Shelby. Her mama chuckles softly and walks towards her, placing a loving kiss to Santana's cheek and tapping the girl's nose with her finger.

"Don't carry it downstairs by yourself," Shelby tells her softly. "Aunt Holly can help you with it later if you don't want me to carry it," she adds, knowing that, like on her birthday, Santana is scared that she'll work out what it is it she picks up. Santana nods and shoots her a crooked grin, not moving from where she is standing. Shelby takes the hint and continues on her way to the bathroom, allowing Santana the chance to move the present to Quinn's room in peace. Shelby heads straight to the bath and starts running the water, pouring a generous amount of bubble bath into the water. She sits on the edge of the tub as she waits for it to fill and thinks about the next couple of days, a smiling tugging at her lips. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, which means she'll spend the whole day attempting to keep some semblance of control in the household while three excited children begin their wait for Santa. They'll watch Christmas movies and make a gingerbread house while listening to Christmas music. Then they'll put all of their presents to each other underneath the three before bath time. Shelby dreads the next part; bedtime. Two of her three girls are already against bedtime every other night of the year, she can only imagine what they will be like tomorrow night. Christmas Day will be spent with her sister, who is completely wrapped around her little girls' fingers. The five of them will celebrate Christmas to the full extent, eating as much as they can while playing games and enjoying quality time together. The day after Christmas, Boxing Day, is the day that Shelby and the three teenagers will celebrate Christmas. Doing pretty much the same as Christmas but with less restrictions thanks to their older ages. Two Christmases. Does it get any better than that?

"Mama?" Shelby turns to face Quinn with a smile.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Can you help me wrap my present for Santana, please?" Quinn asks quietly, glancing behind her to make sure Santana isn't listening. "I hid it in the basement so she wouldn't see it." Shelby chuckles at this, it was very smart of Quinn to put it in the basement. Santana never goes down there anymore, not after watching that movie while they were on vacation, and big girl Santana hates laundry; so she's rarely down there as well.

"Of course. We can do it once Santana and Brittany go to bed tonight," Shelby responds. "You get undressed and into the tub, I'm just going to grab Santana," she adds, kissing Quinn's forehead as she passes her. She's glad that Holly asked Brittany to help out at centre today, it means she had been able to wrap both little Brittany and big girl Brittany's presents. "Santana?"

"Yeah, mama?" Santana sticks her head out of her bedroom door. When had she gone back in there?

"Why don't you come and hang out with us while I help Quinn wash her hair?" Shelby makes it sound like an offer, but it's not. She knows that, as soon as she leaves Santana alone, the girl will go hunting for her presents. Santana sighs and grabs her beloved bunny, Bugs, and follows her mama into the bathroom.

"Can I help wash Quinn's hair too?" Santana asks and Quinn immediately shakes her head no. The last time Santana 'helped' she had gotten shampoo in Quinn's eyes, and she isn't known for being gentle like her mama is when it comes to massaging the shampoo in.

"Not this time, sweetheart. We need to be quick because aunt Holly will be here soon," Shelby tells her gently, "maybe next time."

"Is Sugar coming?" Santana asks anxiously.

"No, just Aunt Holly," Shelby assures her, "she's bringing Brittany home and then staying for lunch."

"And then it's family day?" Santana asks hopefully.

"Yes. Then it's family day," Shelby smiles.

0-00-0

"Santana, stop cheating!" Shelby sighs when she hears Quinn's loud voice floating from the living room as she and Brittany wave goodbye to Holly. She had left Quinn and Santana alone for around thirty seconds and they had already got into an argument.

"Santa now?" Brittany asks eagerly.

"No," Shelby chuckles, "not yet, baby," she says as she closes the front door, leading Brittany back into the living room. "Santa will come tonight when you're sleeping. Then, when you wake up tomorrow there will be lots and lots of presents for you," Shelby explains animatedly.

"Mama, tell Santana to stop cheating!" Quinn demands, stomping over to Shelby and glaring up at her.

"Watch your attitude, Quinn," Shelby scolds. "Santana, stop cheating."

"I'm not, mama, honest!" Shelby sighs and walks towards Santana and the kids version of Monopoly. She lifts up one side of the board and quirks a brow when she finds the colourful money laying underneath it. "I don't know how those got there," Santana states as innocently as she can, staring up at her mama with wide, brown eyes.

"Santana," Shelby warns, staring her little girl down with her hands on her hips. "Were you cheating?" she asks sternly, the cheating doesn't bother her as much as the lying does.

"Yes," Santana sighs, her long pigtails falling forward as she drops her head. Shelby gently, but firmly, grasps Santana's upper arm and pulls her to her feet, laying a firm smack to the seat of Santana's sweatpants. Santana gasps and immediately reaches back to rub the sting away, her mama pulling her hand away. She knows she isn't supposed to rub.

"Stop lying," Shelby scolds as she leads Santana to the corner and guides her down onto her stool. "Lying is very naughty and people won't trust you if you cheat and tell lies," Shelby explains. "You'll stay here for five minutes and then I will come and get you. After that, it's a fresh start. Do not move."

"Yes, mama," Santana murmurs sadly. Shelby nods in satisfaction before walking back to her other girls and motioning them over to her.

"Alright, Quinn, you take Brittany upstairs and grab all the blankets you can find. Bring everything we use on movie nights, okay?" Shelby grins as the two blondes nod eagerly and rush from the room. While they do that, Shelby heads into the kitchen and starts making hot chocolate, all the while keeping an eye on the clock. She feels bad about having to punish Santana on Christmas eve, but she knows that she has to. Otherwise, Santana will just continue to push the boundaries all night until she ends up getting herself into some serious trouble, and Shelby really doesn't want that to happen tonight. At least this way Santana has five minutes to herself, to calm down, and then they can continue with their fun Christmassy plans. Once the five minutes are up, Shelby stops what she is doing and makes her way back into the living room, pleased to see that Santana has stayed on her stool. "That's five minutes, Santana, you can come out of the corner now," she states softly, watching as Santana sadly stands up and walks over to her, throwing herself into her mama's arms.

"I'm sorry, mama," Santana mumbles into Shelby's sweater. "I won't lie anymore."

"I am very glad to hear that, honey, but you still need to say sorry to Quinn for cheating. That wasn't very nice, was it?" Shelby chastises gently.

"No, it wasn't," Santana dutifully agrees.

"You can tell her you're sorry when she comes back downstairs," Shelby says, "why don't you help me make the hot chocolate while they grab all the blankets," she suggests.

"Okay, mama!" Santana grins, seemingly over her scolding already. "Can I have some of the ginger bread house?" she questions hopefully as her mama leads her into the kitchen.

"Well, we're saving that for tomorrow, remember? But we have lots of cookies in the cupboard," Shelby explains, "If you grab a plate, we can take some into the living room with us to eat during the movie. Do you think you could count out eight cookies and put them on the plate?"

"Yeah, I can count waaaay higher than eight, mama," Santana tells her, looking at Shelby as though she is silly. Shelby chuckles lightly sends Santana over to the cupboard with a playful swat. She watches Santana out of the corner of her eyes while she prepares the hot chocolate, pleased to see that Santana washes her hands without even being prompted to. Pouring some very milky hot chocolate into a sippy cup for Brittany, she watches her girl count the cookies out and place them neatly on the plate.

"You're doing a great job, Santana, thank you for helping mama," Shelby praises kindly, Santana beaming at her from across the kitchen. She smiles when Quinn and Brittany walk into the kitchen, looking a little breathless from carrying all of the blankets. "Santana, do you have something you need to tell Quinn?" Shelby gently urges.

"I'm sorry for cheating," Santana states sweetly, hopping down from her chair and hugging Quinn tightly, the older girl happily returning the hug.

"I could help you the next time we play," Quinn tells her with a genuine smile. "I can teach you how to play it properly so that you don't need to cheat."

"Yeah!" Santana excitedly responds. "Look, cookies!" she points out to her sisters. "I helped mama by counting them," she adds, puffing her chest out in pride.

"You did real good," Quinn grins, "Come see all the blankets we got, it's gonna be even better than our beds!" Shelby smiles warmly as she watches her two oldest rush out of the kitchen as fast as they can without running, both of them holding hands. Their fun Christmas Eve is back on track. She turns to face Brittany when she realises the girl is still hovering in the doorway, rolling her eyes at the girl's lack of pants; when did she take them off?

"Tired, mama," Brittany murmurs with a pout.

"You are? Well, that's okay," Shelby smiles. "We can all snuggle up on the sofa to watch the movie and you can have a little nap, does that sound okay?" she questions kindly.

"Uh huh," Brittany whimpers, tears filling her eyes as she rubs them sleepily.

"There's no need to cry, sweetheart," Shelby murmurs as she holds Brittany close to her.

"Want Santa!" Brittany wails, bursting completely into tears and Shelby rubs her back soothingly. It's not often that Brittany gets so tired that she has a meltdown, but, when she does, it's hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.

"Santa will be here tonight, I promise," Shelby assures her. "C'mon, there's no need to cry. You go sit on the sofa with your sisters and I'll be right there." Shelby worries her bottom lip with her teeth as Brittany shuffles out of the kitchen, sniffling loudly and rubbing her eyes. She had expected Brittany to need a nap at some point today, but she wasn't expecting the melt down. It seems likes the excitement of Christmas has completely exhausted the young girl. Shelby finishes up and transfers Brittany's hot chocolate from her sippy cup to her bottle and pushes it into her back pocket to free her hands before carrying the other two mugs into the living room.

"Snuggle, mama!" Brittany demands from her place on the sofa, her brows furrowed in a deep frown.

"Give mama a second, Brittany," Shelby lightly scolds as she places the two mugs on the coffee table, firmly warning Quinn and Santana to be very careful with them. Brittany crawls onto her lap as soon as Shelby sits down and the woman snuggles her baby close to her, pulling a couple of the blankets around them. Brittany immediately accepts her bottle and suckles greedily while fighting to keep her eyes open long enough to finish it. Shelby smiles as both Santana and Quinn both lean into her, neither girl taking their eyes off of the animated movie that's playing on the TV. Neither of them seem to notice that their mama forgot to bring the cookies with her but it's okay, it's not as if they're going to go off while they watch the movie. Shelby loves this. In her opinion, snuggling up on the sofa with her three girls is the absolute best way to kick off their Christmas celebrations.

_**To be continued...next chapter will be the girl's enjoying Christmas morning! Happy Holidays!**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for all of the reviews for the last chapter. I know some of you have some questions about how certain characters may or may not fit into the story but please, have patience, let the story play out and your questions will be answered.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 19

Shelby shivers as she steps into the cold garage, pulling her robe further around her body while she flips the switch for the garage door. She grins as the door slowly lifts and her sister's mercedes comes into view, rolling her eyes when the blonde woman flips her off with a grin on her face. Shelby steps to the side as the sleek car rolls to a stop inside the garage, flipping the switch to close the door as soon as the car is clear of it.

"Hey there, old lady," Cassandra grins as she steps out of her car, hugging her older sister tightly. "God, am I glad to finally be here! Traffic was hell, you'd think we'd be more prepared for snow by now."

"You'd think," Shelby replies, rolling her eyes. "Quinn's still awake, she's desperate to see you so I pushed her bedtime back a little bit," she explains while Cassandra pulls her bag out of the trunk.

"Great, I've been looking forward to seeing them for weeks. How was the vacation?" Cassandra asks, following her sister into the house.

"It was amazing, Cass. Seriously, I'm so glad we went, the girls had a great time!"

"Yeah? That's awesome. Did they girls all behave themselves?" Cassandra questions.

"My girls? Behave themselves?" Shelby chuckles. "There was a couple of incidents, things got smoothed over pretty quickly, though."

"Aunt Cass!" Cassandra has a split second to react before Quinn crashes into her and hugs her tightly. "I missed you!"

"Hey, big girl, I missed you too!" Cassandra grins. Shelby slips into the kitchen, allowing her sister and daughter a chance to catch up while she makes coffee. It's, unfortunately, not often that her younger sister comes to visit, she's so busy in New York but, when she does, Shelby and her girls love having her here. Cassandra, as much as she loves terrorising her students, is the most supportive and loving person Shelby has ever known. Cassandra didn't care when she found out what her sister did for a living, if anything she was intrigued and had done a whole lot of research. She hadn't judged when three of Shelby's clients became her family; she embraced it..embraced them...loves them. Cassandra, like Shelby, views both versions of all three girls as her family and, in her eyes, once you're a part of a family..you're in it forever. No matter what."Quinn would like me to ask if she can have one of Santa's cookies," Cassandra states, smiling as she walks into the kitchen.

"There are other ones in the cupboard," Shelby chuckles. "I've been waiting for that question, she's been dropping hints for the last hour or so. Have you talked to mom at all?"

"No," Cassandra sighs, "Not since...well, you know," she mutters.

"You don't have to stop talking to mom just because she hates how I live my life," Shelby murmurs.

"Yes, I do," Cassandra replies firmly.

"Mama? Santana's awake, she's calling for you!" Quinn shouts from the living room and Shelby sighs, she had expected this.

"I'll go," Cassandra offers, "if that's alright?"

"Yeah, please," Shelby nods. "Don't let her mess you around. She knows it's passed her bedtime and she knows she's supposed to stay put." Cassandra nods and slips from the room, leaving Shelby with a smirk on her face. Santana, for some reason, never screwed around when her aunt Cassandra told her to do something, she's about to get the shock of her life when she is sent back to bed. Cassandra rolls her eyes as she reaches the bottom of the staircase and hears Santana sprint back into her bedroom. Subtle, Santana, really subtle.

"I really hope you're in bed, Santana," Cassandra calls out as she climbs the stairs. "I'd really hate it if the first thing I have to do when I see you is warm your butt for you. I'd much prefer a hug."

"Aunt Cass?!" Santana yells out excitedly and Cassandra grins, she loves that the girls are always so happy to see her.

"Yeah, baby girl," Cassandra replies, stepping into Santana's bedroom and smiling when she sees the girl is back in bed. "What are you doing out of bed at this time?" she asks as she sits on the edge of the bed and opens her arms to Santana, chuckling when Santana clambers onto her lap and wraps her arms around her aunt's neck.

"I'm too excited to sleep! Santa isn't gonna be mad, is he?" Santana questions, her eyes wide.

"I don't think he'll be mad at you for being too excited to sleep," the woman responds thoughtfully, "but I do think he might be a little upset if you keep getting out of bed."

"Quinn gets to stay up late though," Santana retorts quietly, gazing up at her aunt with hopeful eyes.

"Quinn is older than you," Cassandra replies, tapping Santana's nose with her finger. "Now, come on, back into bed."

"Do I really have to?" Santana asks sadly, puffing her bottom lip out in an adorable pouts, momentarily forgetting that pouting doesn't work on aunt Cassandra.

"Yes, you really have to. You don't want Santa to put a paddle for your butt under the tree, do you?" Cassandra asks in a mock serious voice, barely holding back her chuckle when Santana's eyebrows almost disappear into her hair.

"He can do that?!" Santana gasps.

"He can," Cassandra nods, but only when you're naughty and I think you've been pretty good this year haven't you?" Santana nods desperately. "Well, you don't want to ruin it now, do you?"

"Nuh huh," Santana shakes her head furiously. "I don't want a paddle, that'd hurt my butt!"

"Yeah, it would," Cassandra chuckles, "Let's go, it's _way_ passed your bedtime," she adds, patting Santana's thigh and helping her off of her lap and back into bed.

"Are you still gonna be here tomorrow?" Santana asks her hopefully.

"Yep! I'm here until a couple of days after New Years day," Cassandra confirms, "we can hang out as much as you want but, for now, you have to go to sleep so that Santa can come, okay?"

"Okay," Santana nods. "Goodnight, aunt Cass, I love you," she says sweetly.

"I love you, too," Cassandra smiles, scooting closer to her and pressing a gentle kiss to the girl's forehead. "Close your eyes," she states softly, lightly rubbing her niece's back. She softly sings the only lullaby that she can remember, patiently waiting until Santana's breathing evens out. Cassandra stands up once she is sure that the girl is asleep and smiles at Shelby as the woman stands in the doorway.

"A paddle under the tree?" Shelby whispers, her eyes twinkling with amusement and Cassandra shrugs.

"It worked."

0-00-0

"It's Christmas! It's Christmas! Mama, wake up! It's Christmas!" Shelby groans softly as she hears Santana's excited voice getting closer and closer. She feels as though she has only just closed her eyes as she cracks them open, groaning when the clock next to her bed tells her it's only a little after six. Shelby smiles into her pillow when she hears Cassandra coaxing Santana into the guest bedroom with her, thanking whichever deity is listening that her loud girl didn't wake Brittany or Quinn up.

"Maaaaaama!" Brittany's voice floats down the hall and Shelby is convinced that she had jinxed herself. She forces herself to sit up and swings her legs around to hang over the edge of the bed, yawning loudly as she looks around for her nearest hooded sweatshirt and pulling it on. Stumbling into the hall, she heads for the guest bedroom, only for Santana to run out of it; naked from the waist down.

"Merry Christmas, mama!" Santana yells as she runs to her bedroom while Cassandra steps out of the guest bedroom.

"Merry Christmas," the blonde murmurs sleepily, "she was desperate to take her diaper off. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, she's allowed to take it off as soon as she is out of bed," Shelby reassures the younger woman, "Merry Christmas," she adds, wrapping Cassandra in a one armed hug. "I'll make you a deal, I'll make coffee if you round up the girls."

"Deal," Cassandra grumbles, although she isn't sure that this deal works out all that well for her. Shelby grins victoriously as she makes her way downstairs, glad that she had stayed up late last night to lay out all the presents from Santa rather than having to run around like a headless chicken this morning. Cassandra had helped. Well, if eating Santa's cookie and drinking his milk counts as help, then she had helped. She leans against the counter while she waits for the coffee to be ready, smiling kindly when Quinn sleepily shuffles into the room.

"Merry Christmas, mama," Quinn mumbles, dropping her head onto Shelby's shoulder and yawning loudly.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart, did you have a good sleep?" Shelby asks, dropping a sweet kiss into Quinn's hair.

"Yeah. I had a dream that Santana yelled at Santa and wouldn't let him eat any of his cookies," Quinn states with a giggle.

"That _does_ sound like something Santana would do, huh?" Shelby chuckles, her smile widening when she hears an excited shriek come from the living room. "I think your sisters saw all the presents. Go join them, I'll be right there," Shelby states, sending Quinn from the room with a gentle swat. As soon as the coffee is ready, Shelby pours two mugs and heads into the living room, laughing softly as she catches sight of Santana literally bouncing on the spot as she stares excitedly at the huge pile of presents under the tree. Cassandra accepts her coffee with a grateful mumble and sits on the edge of the coffee table. "Merry Christmas, baby girl," Shelby murmurs as she places her coffee on the table and sits down on the floor next to Brittany.

"Mama!" Brittany coos happily, placing a sloppy kiss on Shelby's cheek and snuggling into her side.

"Can we open them now, mama? _Please?_" Santana begs, dropping to her knees in front of the Christmas tree and gazing longingly at all the presents.

"Sure, go ahead!" Shelby grins, fully expecting Santana to dive head first into the pile. She's surprised when Santana suddenly jumps to her feet and sprints out of the living room. Shelby listens as the closet in the hall is yanked open and something is dragged out, realisation dawning on her features as she remembers the large present she had seen Santana with yesterday.

"We all got you a big present, mama," Quinn explains. "Aunt Holly helped Santana hide it properly yesterday." Shelby smiles and looks over at Cassandra, her sister shaking her head to tell her that she doesn't know what it is. Quinn rushes over to the doorway when Santana reaches it and helps her sister drag it to their mama, all three girls beaming in anticipation as they watch their mama examine it.

"OPEN!" Brittany says loudly, staring up at Shelby with a crooked grin, the corner of her eyes crinkling.

"Okay, okay," Shelby chuckles, ripping the paper off of the box. Underneath the paper is a plain, brown box with a ton of sticky tape across the top of it. Santana must have been the one to tape the box closed. Feeling along the sticky tape, she finally finds a loose end and pulls it off, rolling her eyes good naturedly at the amount that comes off. She doesn't miss the eager stares she's receiving from her three girls as she pulls the lid open, tears welling in her eyes as she begins to dig all of the items inside of it. One by one, Shelby pulls out the large assortment of drawings, paintings, and collages. Her girls clearly spent a lot of time making up this box and it touches her deeply. She finds a photograph and grins as she looks at it. It's a picture of Santana, Brittany and Quinn sitting on one of the sofas in the reception of GreenAcre resort. The three of them are grinning at the camera and holding up the soft toys they had won at the arcade. It had been on the last night of their vacation, Dave must have taken it while she had been in the bathroom. The frame has each of her girl's initials painted on it and _We love mama_ written at the bottom.

"Do you like it, mama?" Santana asks warily, mistaking Shelby's tears for sadness.

"I love it," Shelby murmurs sincerely, her voice thick with emotion. "It must have taken you guys a long time to do all of this. I love it," she repeats. "Thank you." Shelby places a kiss to each girl's cheek. "I'm a very lucky mama."

"So...we can open our presents now?" Quinn questions hopefully.

"Of course you can," Shelby smiles, watching as all three girls dive towards their presents, seemingly unaware of how much their present means to their mama. Shelby knows she is lucky and she is thankful for each of her girls, completely in awe of their thoughtful gifts, each one hand made with love. She and Cassandra help them make sure they all have their own presents, reading the gift tags for them and accepting many hugs and kisses for the presents they had given to them; also accepting hugs on Santa's behalf and promising to pass them on. As she watches her girls elatedly rip the paper from the presets and takes in the look of pure joy on their faces when they see what is under the paper, Shelby realises just how stunning her life is. There's no way it can get better than this.

_**To be continued... Please review.**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you so much for all of the reviews and PMs regarding this story, I'm so thrilled that you guys are enjoying this!**_

_**A few hours late but hopefully it's worth it. R&R please.**_

Chapter 20

Brittany snuggles into Shelby's embrace as they lay on Brittany's bed together. Her eyelids are fighting a losing battle against sleep, and have been for the last thirty minutes. It's the one day of the year where bedtimes aren't strictly enforced, but the excitement of Christmas had really taken it out of her. Now, it's twenty minutes before her usual bedtime and Brittany is taking advantage of all the attention her mama is giving her. Suckling on her pacifier, she buries her face into Shelby's neck and sighs contentedly. Mama snuggles are the best!

"Close your eyes, angel," Shelby murmurs softly, stroking Brittany's hair. "Your new toys aren't going anywhere," she chuckles.

"Love you, mama," Brittany tiredly mumbles, sliding further down her bed and sinking her head into her pillow.

"I love you more, baby." Shelby carefully moves out of the bed and leans over her youngest, tenderly kissing Brittany's forehead and pulling the duvet up to the girl's chin. "Sweet dreams." Shelby smiles down at Brittany before quietly padding out of the room and pulling the door halfway closed. She can hear Santana and Quinn giggling downstairs, her own smile tugging at her lips as she makes her way down to them. Shelby playfully ruffles Santana's hair as she walks passed the girls as they play together on the floor, and slumps down on the sofa next to Cassandra.

"Is she asleep?" Cassandra asks, passing her bowl of popcorn to Shelby.

"Yeah, she was out pretty quickly. The poor girl was exhausted," Shelby responds, "Santana's tired as well, she'll probably crash out soon."

"How do you know? She seems pretty lively," Cassandra states in confusion.

"She keeps rubbing her ear," Shelby murmurs, "See, she just did it," she nods subtly towards Santana. "That's what she does when she's tired, adult Santana does it as well. She just doesn't like admitting it because she hates going to bed," Shelby explains. "She and Quinn would stay up all night if I let them."

"Mama, where are the cookies?" Santana calls over to her, stifling a yawn.

"Is that how we ask for a cookie?" Shelby questions, raising an eyebrow at Santana.

"May I have a cookie please, mama?" Santana asks politely, smiling sweetly at her mama.

"You can have one, only one," Shelby nods, "you've already had a ton of sugar today." She watches as Santana rushes into the kitchen, a warm smile on her face. "Quinn, will you go help her please? I forgot that I put the lid back on, she never can get it off."

"Sure, mama!"

"Thank you," Shelby smiles.

"You are so lucky," Cassandra sighs, glancing in the direction that Quinn and Santana had gone. "They are the cutest troublemakers ever," she adds.

"Yeah, they are," Shelby chuckles.

"What are you doing the day after tomorrow?" Cassandra suddenly asks, "Do you want to go out? We haven't gotten wasted together in a _long_ time."

"That's because I'm a full time mama now," Shelby replies, "but yeah, we should totally go out. I'll talk to the girls tomorrow, make sure that one of them is okay with babysitting the others. Or I guess I could ask Holly," Shelby thinks out loud.

"No, don't do that," Cassandra interrupts, "talk to the girls, and we can ask Holly to go with us. I haven't seen her in so long. Plus, she'll tell me more about your vacation reunion with Dave Martinez than you will," Cassandra smirks.

"What makes you think I've given Holly any details? She knows the same as you do," Shelby states in amusement.

"Really? I think she knows more than that," Cassandra says, "she has been alone with your girls afterall. I would know a lot more if you hadn't walked into the kitchen earlier while I was talking to Quinn," she shrugs. She laughs at the look on Shelby's face, "your girls seem pretty taken with him, they call him your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend! We had a couple of dates but he's in Florida!" Shelby exclaims. "A long distance relationship isn't something that I want, I can't travel a lot and having him stay over casually just isn't fair on the girls."

"Okay. Let me ask you something, would the girls be okay with you using them as an excuse to not have a relationship? I think they would be pretty upset if they thought that you being their mama was stopping you from having a relationship," Cassandra reasons.

"Cass, it's complicated," Shelby sighs.

"What's complicated about it? A guy who used to work with you and Holly, and now works in an age play resort wants to date you. He's good with the kids, you don't have to hide anything about how you live your life because he already knows about it. He's moving to Columbus soon. You like him, he likes you, what's the problem?"

"Wait, he's moving to Columbus?" Shelby asks in shock. "When? How do you even know that?"

"He told me last night. You've been screening his calls so he called me," Cassandra shrugs. "We kept in touch, he used to be around a lot when you worked with him. He's my friend, too."

"Why didn't he tell me that he's moving so close?"

"He's been trying to," Cassandra murmurs, lowering her voice as Santana and Quinn come back into the living room, Santana slumping down in between the two women. "So, Quinn, how about I finish that game with you?" she offers.

"Sure, aunt Cass," Quinn smiles, dropping down onto the floor again. Cassandra shoots Shelby a look, silently telling her that they'll continue this later before turning to Quinn and giving the girl her full attention. Shelby looks down at Santana as she places her half eaten cookie on the arm of the couch and lays her head on her mama's lap.

"Have you had a good day, baby?" Shelby asks quietly, running her fingers through Santana's soft hair.

"Uh huh," Santana nods, "I'm real glad Santa didn't leave a paddle under the tree."

0-00-0

Santana grins when she feels Brittany's arms encircle her waist from behind. She twists around and gently kisses Brittany's lips in greeting. Brittany deepens the kiss, pulling Santana closer to her and feeling her heart flutter when Santana smiles into the kiss. It ends naturally, and Brittany beams at her girlfriend before pecking her on the lips once more.

"Good morning," Brittany murmurs.

"It is, indeed," Santana smirks. "How'd you sleep?"

"Like a baby." Santana laughs lightly and nudges Brittany's elbow, sighing contentedly as she lays her head on Brittany's shoulder. "How come you're up so early?" Brittany asks, "it's still morning...much too early for you," she smirks.

"I promised mom that I'd go to the grocery store with her and, of course, she likes to go places at the ass crack of dawn," Santana grumbles.

"Nine in the morning is not the ass crack of dawn, Santana," Shelby scolds as she walks into the kitchen, causing Santana to jerk in surprise. "In fact, the only ass I want to see is yours heading upstairs to get dressed, I'd like to leave before the store closes," Shelby informs her, shaking her head in amusement. Brittany can't help but smirk as Santana shuffles out of the kitchen, grumbling under her breath about dictatorships. "Good morning," Shelby smiles to Brittany, helping herself to the rest of Santana's coffee.

"Morning," Brittany grins, "you want me to come with you to the grocery store?"

"We should be okay, babe. Cass and Santana are coming but if you wanted to be really helpful, you could help Quinn, make sure she doesn't burn the turkey," Shelby hints.

"Sure, I can do that," Brittany chuckles. "Is Holly coming?"

"Yeah, she said she'd be here. I think she's only coming because it means she can celebrate Christmas for the second time in two days," Shelby explains with an eye roll. "While I have you on your own, could I ask you a favour?"

"You can always ask, I reserve the right to say no," Brittany states teasingly.

"Good to know," Shelby chuckles, "are you doing anything tomorrow night?"

"No, I don't think so. I'll probably just be doing some school work, why?"

"Your aunt Cass wants me to go out with her, and Quinn is working late so I was hoping I could convince you to look after little Santana," Shelby states with a hopeful smile. "It's completely fine if you don't want to, I can totally go out a different night."

"No, it's fine. You should go out, you deserve to go out and let your hair down with aunt Cass, you guys never get to hang out properly," Brittany replies. "Santana and I will be fine, we always have some fun together and it'll be nice to hang out with her on my own. I promised little Quinn that I would spend some time with her on our own as well."

"Congratulations, you just earned the right to babysit little Quinn when I have my night with little Santana," Shelby cheers, causing Brittany to laugh.

"I love would love to," Brittany smiles. "I actually enjoy looking after them almost as much as I love being little Brittany," she states quietly.

"Really?" Shelby asks, intrigued.

"Yeah. It interests me, especially when I'm helping you and Holly out. It's pretty cool. I like the idea of making someone as happy as you make us," Brittany explains with a gentle smile. She opens her mouth to continue but stops when Cassandra tiredly walks into the room. "Later," she states to Shelby.

"Of course," Shelby nods. "We will definitely talk about this later."

"Talk about what?" Cassandra asks, taking Santana's coffee from Shelby and draining the mug.

"Just stuff," Shelby shrugs. "Is Santana almost ready to go?"

0-00-0

Shelby rolls her eyes as she listens to Cassandra and Santana argue over what kind of cereal to buy, seriously wondering why the hell she would bring both of them with her. Little Santana may listen to everything her aunt Cassandra tells her, but adult Santana and Cassandra are more like bickering siblings. They are both insanely alike, and it's the reason they are both so close but also they reason they argue about..well, everything.

"Mom, can you please remind Cassandra that she is a guest, and guests should appreciate that their hosts feed them. They shouldn't try and dictate what food the hosts buy," Santana calls over from the other end of the aisle.

"Shelby, can you please remind Santana that a good host keeps their guest happy. If a certain kind of cereal keeps their guest happy, they should buy it!" Cassandra shouts. Shelby rolls her eyes and pushes the cart over to them, gazing at them in disbelief.

"You are aware that you guys are adults, right?" Shelby remarks.

"Mom..."

"No, Santana, act your age," Shelby tells her with a sigh. "Both of you," she adds when she notices Cassandra shooting Santana a smug look. "Just put both boxes of cereal in the cart." She wonders if she'll ever learn her lesson and just come grocery shopping by herself. "You," she points at Santana, "Quinn and Brittany want chicken, go get it. You," Shelby turns to Cassandra, "the rest of want beef...go get it." She watches as they sulkily shuffle off in different directions, sighing happily as she goes to look for potatoes. Sometimes, she thinks she'd get things done better if she brought little Santana instead. In the time it takes for Santana and Cassandra to get what they have been sent for, Shelby manages to grab the last few things they need. She waits in line to pay for everything, hoping they get the other stuff into the cart before it's her turn. Shelby thinks about what Brittany said to her earlier. She's not really surprised, she had always thought Brittany enjoyed the grown up aspect of age play as well as being the child. It's why she prefers to ask Brittany to help out, rather than Quinn or Santana. Maybe Brittany would like to help out a little more at the office, she'll have to rememeber to bring that up to her.

"Here," Santana mumbles, placing the chicken into the cart and leaning against Shelby's shoulder with a heavy sigh.

"I really cannot understand why you're so tired, you must have gotten a ton of sleep last night," Shelby murmurs, wrapping her arm around Santana's shoulder and rubbing her arm comfortingly.

"Not really," Santana shrugs, blushing slightly.

"Please tell me you and Brittany did not do...that in the house, we had an agreement about you.."

"No! No, mom, geez," Santana chuckles awkwardly. "It's not that."

"Oh, I see...little Santana did something. Don't worry, I won't ask," Shelby smiles. She knows she can't do that, it's not fair to ask adult Santana about the trouble little Santana gets herself into. Santana smirks knowingly.

"I'm sure you'll work it out."

0-00-0

Loud chatter and the sound of cutlery fills the kitchen as they all sit around the kitchen table, enjoying their second Christmas dinner in two days. Shelby smiles as she listens to Quinn and Santana debate about the latest episode of some reality show that she had never heard of, fingering the pendant of the necklace the girls had gotten her for Christmas. The pad of her finger runs across the word engraved on the back of it; mom. She has known for a while that all three of them thinks of her as their mom, not just because they call her that, but the way they act with her. This just confirms it and, for the second time in two days, happy tears had leaked from her eyes because of a Christmas gift.

"You okay?" Shelby looks up when she feels Holly's hand on her forearm and she smiles, nodding.

"I'm great," Shelby states.

"It's a beautiful gift," Holly notes.

"It is," Shelby agrees, catching Quinn's eye and smiling warmly at her. "I'm very lucky," she adds, watching as Quinn goes back to her debate with Santana, rolling her eyes when Cassandra joins in. "I wish they had been given better parents, parents that appreciated the beautiful girls they were given," she murmurs sadly. It has always troubled her that Santana and Brittany's parents had so easily abandoned them when their relationship was made public, and that Quinn's parents were never really around for her in the first place. Money isn't everything.

"They do," Holly states, "they have you."

"I wish they had me when they were younger," Shelby sighs.

"Again, they do," Holly tells her. "So, their perfect childhood came a little later than it was supposed to, but does that matter? They're happy, both versions of them." Shelby gazes at her friend, and business partner, for a moment before smiling softly.

"You're right," Shelby eventually murmurs.

"Of course I am," Holly scoffs. "I'm always right."

"Mom? Are you alright?" Brittany asks from across the table, the others hearing her and pausing their conversation to look over at Shelby.

"Yeah, babe, I'm good," Shelby grins. "Are you?"

"I'm perfect," Brittany nods. Holly smiles and shoots Shelby an _I told you so_ glance, causing her friend to roll her eyes and laugh lightly. She spends the rest of their dinner mainly just listening to Quinn, Santana, and Brittany chat about random things, amazed at how quickly they can all go off on a tangent and wondering if they ever finished one specific conversation. Holly's right, it doesn't matter that it took she and her girls so long to find each other because, at least, they eventually did. She shoos the girls into the living room with Cassandra while she and Holly start to load the dishwasher, realising that they'll end up watching the most recent Batman movie because it's Santana's turn to pick one. Shelby knows that Anne Hathaway in leather will be enough to encourage Brittany to agree with her girlfriend, Brittany sure had talked about it a lot when she had first gone to the movies to see it.

"I'll...uh, leave you guys to it," Holly awkwardly states, and Shelby glances at her in confusion before she notices Quinn hovering in the doorway. Quinn smiles gratefully as Holly squeezes passed her, walking further into the room and silently helping Shelby load the dishwasher.

"Thank you for my typewriter," Quinn finally says. "I always wanted one, my grandmother had one when I was a little girl and I just loved it."

"I know," Shelby replies softly, "and you are very welcome, honey," Shelby smiles. "I love my gift, too."

"We thought it was fitting," Quinn shrugs, a sly smile pulling at her lips. "It was the only thing we could think of that showed what you mean to us and showed our gratitude. I don't think any of us will ever be able to afford to give you what you really deserve, I can't even begin to think of what would be enough," she murmurs.

"What I deserve?" Shelby asks, "what do you mean?" she questions in confusion.

"You know, to thank you for everything you've done...to make it up to you," Quinn replies in a small voice.

"Quinn Fabray, are you trying to earn yourself a trip across my lap?" Shelby exclaims, "you guys are everything to me, I don't need anything to thank me, I'm your mom! I can't believe you just said that, don't think like that because it is so far from the truth! I love you guys so much," Shelby states passionately, pulling Quinn into her arms and hugging her tightly. "You don't have to do anything to _make it up to me_, you're my girls. Don't you ever think like that, or say it," she adds softly, making her point by firmly swatting the seat of Quinn's pants.

"Well," Quinn begins coyly, pulling out of the hug and reaching into her pocket, "Quinn Fabray can't go over your lap but I'm sure Quinn Corcoran could," she says shyly, handing over the legal documents that she had been keeping in her back pocket for the last hour, just waiting for the perfect moment. "I'm sure Santana Corcoran and Brittany Corcoran could, too." Shelby stares down at the documents in her hands, tears welling in her eyes as she reads them over, glancing down at the date. She realises that the date marked is two weeks after Santana's eighteenth birthday, the last of the girls to turn eighteen. "The papers came a few days ago, we've been waiting, like, six weeks for them," Quinn explains.

"Quinn, this is...this is amazing," Shelby breathes out, grabbing Quinn and pulling her into a bonecrushing hug, spotting Santana and Brittany hanging around beside the kitchen door and beckoning them over. She pulls them both into the embrace, tears leaking down her cheeks yet again. "This is the best thing...ever, I can't even begin to describe how much this means to me," Shelby murmurs tearfully.

"We love you, mom."

_**To be continued...please review.**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for all of the reviews for the last chapter. I do have another age-play story on my other account if you guys are interested "A Day In The Life." Check it out if you like :)**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 21

Shelby stands in front of her full length mirrow, gazing at her reflection thoughtfully. She looks good, really good. She had thought her favourite little black dress would be too tight by now, but it seems that running around after girls has kept her in good shape. Shelby smooths the front of her dress and leans forward, checking her make up and hair. Yep, she looks awesome. She's so looking forward to this, going out and letting her hair down with her sister and Holly. It's been so long; too long. Grabbing her purse from her closet, Shelby makes her way out of the bedroom and heads downstairs, finding Cassandra and Brittany in the kitchen.

"Wow, you look hot!" Cassandra remarks, giving her older sister a once over with her eyes.

"Yeah, you look really great," Brittany agrees with a smile.

"Thanks," Shelby grins. "You look great, too."

"I know," Cassandra shrugs cockily, "I always look great. I called a cab, it'll be here soon," she adds, using the chrome toaster to check her make up. "We're picking Holly up on the way."

"Alright, cool. Brittany, keep an extra close eye on Santana tonight, she's been up to something recently but I have no idea what it is. She needs to take a bath after dinner and in bed by no later than eight thirty. I think Quinn gets home around eight so she can give you a hand if you need it," Shelby tells Brittany. "Once she's in bed, listen for her getting out because she hasn't been getting much sleep lately so I'm assuming she's been getting out of bed."

"I know," Brittany smiles, "we'll be fine," she assures her mom.

"If she misbehaves, just swat her backside and put her in the corner. Don't take any nonsense."

"Mom, I know," Brittany states. "Trust me, we'll be fine. I've looked after her before."

"No, you looked after her and Quinn together. They keep each other entertained. When Santana's bored, she turns into a little devil," Shelby says seriously. They hear a horn blasting from outside. "Alright, that must be our cab, call me if you need me. Love you," Shelby smiles, kissing Shelby's cheek and rushing after Cassandra who has already left the room.

"Love you, too! Have a good night," Brittany calls after her mother, shaking her head in amusement. She can handle Santana, it's no big deal. Right? She listens as Shelby says goodbye to Santana in the living room while she cleans up the mess she had made making toast a little while ago, hearing the front door open and close a short moment later. Brittany finishes up and dumps the cloth into the sink, grabbing a can of soda from the fridge before making her way into the living room. She frowns when Santana is nowhere to be seen. She had been here less than thirty minutes ago.

"Santana?" she calls out, sighing when there is no response. She thinks back to the time when Santana had hid from them all for three straight hours, for no other reason than _just 'cause._ Santana had stopped finding it fun once they eventually found her in the back seat of the car in the garage. Shelby was _furious_ with her. "Santana?" Brittany grimaces, praying that Santana is just in the bathroom or something. She makes her way upstairs and rolls her eyes when she hears a giggle coming from Shelby's room. Subtle, Santana. Really subtle. "I really wish I knew where Santana was," Brittany says loudly, a smirk on her lips. "I was going to call her favourite pizza place for dinner, but I guess I can't do that anymore," she sighs sadly.

"Really?" Santana calls out from underneath her mama's bed. No way is she coming out of her super secret hiding place if she's not getting pizza!

"I really, really wish Santana would tell me where she is," Brittany states, standing just outside of Shelby's bedroom. "I can't order pizza for someone that I can't see."

"I want pizza!" Santana yells, wriggling out from under the bed and rushing over to Brittany. "Please!"

"Alright, I guess we can get pizza," Brittany laughs. "No more hiding, though. If mama calls to see how you're doing, she won't be very happy with either of us if I don't know where you are," she adds firmly, but kindly.

"Fine," Santana sighs in disappointment. She trudges out of her mama's bedroom and pouts all the way to her bedroom.

"I'll call you down when the pizza gets here," Brittany calls after her, shaking her head in amusement when she doesn't get a response. It really does not take much to make Santana sulk sometimes. She heads downstairs and slumps onto the sofa, using the remote to turn the tv on. Brittany idly surfs the channels, keeping the volume down low enough so that she'll be able to hear if Santana needs her. Even though it can be stressful at times, she loves babysitting for her mom. It's always educational. Brittany can't wait to talk to Shelby about how she's been feeling, but she knows she needs to discuss things with Santana before she helps out with more stuff at Shelby and Holly's office. She is her girlfriend, after all.

0-00-0

"Yes, mama, I'm being really good," Santana sweetly tells Shelby. "Uh huh, I will. 'Kay, mama, bye!" Santana hands Brittany's cell phone back to her, running off to another room while Brittany confirms that Santana is behaving. She talks to Shelby for a few minutes, enjoying the woman's tipsy chattering, before sliding her cell phone into her pocket and following Santana into the living room.

"Go upstairs and get ready for your bath, kiddo," Brittany tells her. "I'll be up in a couple of minutes."

"Aww, do I have to?" Santana whines, "I'm playing!"

"You can play for a little while after your bath," Brittany assures her. "But only if you do as I say. C'mon, I'll come up with you and I'll fill the tub," she says, holding out her hand for Santana to take. She sighs when Santana doesn't move, "or you can always just go straight to bed after your bath," Brittany threatens. Santana scowls at her and storms upstairs, Brittany following close behind her. "Get undressed, if you're not butt naked by the time I come to get you, your butt will be going to bed," Brittany tells her as she walks into the bathroom. She can hear Santana grumbling in her bedroom as she starts filling the bath tub, ensuring there's a ton bubbles; that'll cheer Santana up. Turning off the taps, Brittany straightens up and walks through to Santana's bedroom, glad to see that Santana is no longer dressed.

"I really don't want to go in the bath," Santana states sadly. "Can't we just tell mama I had one?" she asks.

"I don't think lying to mama would be a good idea," Brittany replies firmly, knowing exactly how Shelby feels about lying. "Now, c'mon," she says, waving her arm in the direction of the bathroom. "Santana," she warns, growing frustrated when Santana stays seated on the edge of her bed. "If I have to come and get you, you will _not_ like it. Just because mama isn't here, does not mean it is okay to be naughty."

"I don't wanna," Santana complains. "You're being mean!" she pouts.

"I'm not being mean. You would be having a bath if mama was here, she's not going to be very happy if I tell her you're not listening to me. You have three seconds to stand up and come have your bath before I spank you and then give you your bath," Brittany informs her sternly. "One...two.." Santana huffs and stands up, angrily folding her arms across her chest and shuffling out of her bedroom with her chin tucked downwards. Brittany follows her into the bathroom and helps her into the tub. "Alright, get yourself washed. Do you want me to help you?"

"No. I want Quinn to help me," Santana grumbles. Brittany sighs and checks her watch.

"Quinn isn't going to be home for another hour, honey. It's not the end of the world, it's just a bath. The quicker you're washed, the quicker you can come out and then you can go back to playing with your toys," Brittany reasons. "Come on, we usually have fun together."

"I'm grumpy," Santana pouts, causing Brittany to laugh.

"Yes, baby, you are. What would make you feel less grumpy?" Brittany questions gently, smiling kindly.

"Can we play hide and seek?" Santana asks eagerly, "I promise not to go in the garage!"

"We can play hide and seek," Brittany nods, "but on one condition. If I tell you it's time to stop, you need to come out of your hiding place right away. Will you do that?"

"Yes, I promise," Santana replies seriously. "Hide and seek stops me from feeling grumpy," she explains, Brittany smiling at her. "I'll hide first 'cause it was my idea to play."

0-00-0

Quinn frowns as she leaves the garage and walks into the main house, it's much more quiet in here than she thought it would be. The only time the house is quiet is when Santana is asleep, and it's still a little early for that. Brittany walks into the living room, smiling in greeting and holding her finger to her lips, signalling for Quinn to stay quiet. Quinn rolls her eyes and dumps her purse on the sofa, heading straight to the kitchen and spotting the left over pizza. Score. Brittany slaps her hand away just as Quinn reaches out for a slice. When did Britt come into the kitchen? She's like a damn ninja!

"You can eat later, I need you to help me find Santana," Brittany states quietly. "We're playing hide and seek and I don't want to give up, help me," she says in a demanding whisper.

"You want me to help you cheat against a five year old?" Quinn asks in disbelief. "Didn't she get spanked and put in the corner for cheating just the other night? Don't be a bad influence," she reminds Brittany. "Mom will kill you if you get her back into that habit."

"Damn it," Brittany sighs. "She's won every round so far," she complains.

"Just call her down, tell her it's time to stop," Quinn shrugs. "I'm going upstairs to get changed anyway, I'll send her down. We'll tell her to take it easy on you and let you win next time," she adds teasingly, poking Brittany in the side as she passes her. "Santana?" she calls out as she walks upstairs, "where are you, babe?" Silence. "It's time to stop the game, come on out," she adds, wandering into her own bedroom. "You have until I finish changing to come out!" Quinn chuckles lightly, Santana really could hide extremely well when she wanted to. She quickly changes into a pair of sweatpants and an old t'shirt before making her way to Santana's room. "Are you in here, Santana?" Quinn asks, looking around the bedroom and crossing across the toy mine-field that is Santana's bedroom floor. Pulling open the closet door and peeks inside, her nose wrinkling at the damp smell coming from inside it.

"Is she ignoring you?" Brittany questions, sticking her head into Santana's bedroom.

"Yeah," Quinn sighs, noticing a filthy look cardboard box in the corner of the closet. She steps inside and pulls open the lid, jumping backward and squealing in disgust. "She is so damn gross!" Quinn exclaims.

"What?" Brittany crosses the room and looks inside the box, grimacing as she studies the damp leaves and grass inside the box. "Ew! Did she make a slug farm?" Brittany asks in disbelief. "That is disgusting. Santana! Get your butt out of your hiding place and come here! Right now!" she calls loudly.

"I'm coming!" They hear Santana shout. Quinn frowns and walks across the bedroom. She looks out the window and her eyes widen, "she's outside!" Quinn storms out of the bedroom and rushes downstairs, Brittany hot on her heels. The reach the back door just as Santana is sneaking inside, a small, plastic container in her hands and dirt all over her pajama pants. "What are you doing outside?" Quinn demands, startling the girl.

"You're home!" Santana exclaims, placing the container on the table and hugging Quinn tightly.

"I asked you a question," Quinn states seriously, reaching around and swatting Santana's bottom.

"Ow, Quinn!" Santana whines, attempting to rub the sting out of her behind. "What was that for?" she asks, watching her two furious older sisters carefully.

"Why were you outside?" Brittany asks her in an eerily calm voice, glancing at the container on the table. "And don't you dare lie." she glares at Santana, waiting for her to respond. "We found the box in your closet, does mama know you have that?" Brittany questions, already aware of the answer. There's no chance in hell that Shelby would allow that.

"No," Santana mumbles, tears welling in her eyes as she realise she's in big trouble.

"Are there more slugs in that container? Is that why you were outside?" Quinn presses, sighing when Santana nods. She glances at Brittany, Brittany giving her a look that says she'll handle it.

"Go get the box," Brittany tells Santana firmly, "it's going back outside and then you are going straight to bed. Go." She watches as Santana sadly walks out of the kitchen, for once knowing it's best not to argue. "Can you believe her?!"

"Actually, yeah," Quinn murmurs. "She likes gross stuff," she shrugs. "Do we call mom?"

"No, let her enjoy her night. We can tell her in the morning. In fact, Santana can tell her. It explains why she's been so tired, she's been playing with her slug farm. Mom is gonna take the skin from her ass if it turns out Santana has been going outside in the middle of the night," Brittany sighs.

"She wouldn't do that. Mom is a light sleeper, anyway. She'd have heard if Santana went outside," Quinn murmurs, leaning against the counter. "She probably just snuck them upstairs while mom was busy."

"Either way, I wouldn't want to be her when mom finds out."

_**Shorter than planned but this chapter really didn't want to be written tonight. To be continued..**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Yeah, I'm back. Thanks for all of the support, it really does mean a lot and I appreciate it so much. It doesn't seem like the harassment is going to stop anytime soon so I'm doing my best to ignore it and continue writing. I will do my best to update as much as possible. **_

_**And, no, I wasn't away from my accounts to punish anyone, I really just needed a break.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 22

Shelby groans as she wakes up, massaging her temples and trying to ignore the churning in her stomach. She can hear the excited chatter of her girls floating up from the living room and she knows that Cassandra must be down there with them, otherwise they would have been up here jumping on her and begging her to get up. Turning her head, she notices the glass of water and painkillers on her bedside table and she doesn't hesitate to swallow the tablets and chug down most of the water. Shelby vaguely remembers Brittany telling her something about Santana when she stumbled into the house last night...something about slugs. She shudders. She really doesn't think she will be able to stomach anything too gross today. Unfortunately for her, gross is Santana's specialty. Sighing, Shelby pushes herself out of bed and wraps her robe around her body. God, she feels awful. Why did she have to do those last few shots of tequila.

"Mama!" Brittany squeals as soon as Shelby reaches the living room, causing her mama to wince; albeit with a forced smile on her face.

"Good morning, baby girl," Shelby murmurs, sinking down onto the sofa next to Cassandra and laying her head on her younger sister's shoulder. "Have you girls been good for aunt Cass this morning?" she asks quietly, mostly directing the question at an extremely quiet Santana.

"Yes, mama," Santana whispers, avoiding Shelby's gaze and staring down at her lap instead. Shelby sighs, knowing she needs to deal with Santana's recent behaviour soon; the girl is nervous.

"There's a note on the kitchen table, the girls must have written it before they went to bed last night," Cassandra murmurs. "It explains exactly what happened last night. There's also fresh coffee in the pot, you look like you need it," she adds. Shelby nods and offers her sister a grateful smile as she slowly rises to her feet, her whole body feeling as though it has been hit by a bus. Heading into the kitchen, she pours herself a coffee and picks the note up. Shelby grimaces as she reads it, her stomach is far too sensitive today. Slugs? Really? Who in their right mind would want to keep slugs as pets? She notices Santana silently hovering in the doorway and she sighs, placing the note back on the table and sitting down with her coffee.

"C'mere," Shelby states tiredly, motioning for Santana to sit down on the chair next to her. Santana shuffles across to the chair and slumps down on it, eyeing her mama nervously. "Why did you have a slug farm in your closet?"

"I just think they're cool, mama," Santana shrugs.

"Well, honey, they're disgusting," Shelby replies softly. "And I don't want you touching any again. They're dirty and covered in germs. I certainly do not want them in your bedroom but I think you already knew I would say that, didn't you?"

"No," Santana denies unconvincingly, looking down at her hands as they rest in her lap.

"So why did you keep them secret?" Shelby asks knowingly. "Be truthful, did you know that I wouldn't like it?" Shelby sighs when Santana nods. "Did you go outside during the night to get them?"

"No, mama! Honest, I didn't," Santana exclaims truthfully. Shelby studies her for a moment before nodding, satisfied that Santana is telling the truth.

"But you were _playing_ with them when you were supposed to be in bed?"

"Yes, mama," Santana whispers sadly, accepting that she's in trouble. Shelby watches her girl carefully, she is far too hungover for this.

"Alright," Shelby sighs. "You know better than to get out of bed at night," she scolds quietly, feeling a pang of guilt at the pout on Santana's face. "And you knew you were being naughty by having the slugs in your closet. Hiding things is a lot like lying, don't you think?"

"I didn't know it was lying," Santana states softly, hanging her head as she realises her mama is more upset with her than she thought she would be. "I really didn't, mama, honest!"

"I know you didn't," Shelby reassures her gently, "you know now. From now on, you stay in bed at night. The only times I will accept you being out of bed is if you need to go to the bathroom or if you need to come and see, alright?" Shelby waits until Santana nods before continuing, "and I do not want you playing with any kind of bugs, not outside and _certainly_ not inside the house. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, mama."

"Explain why you're in trouble," Shelby coaxes.

"I bought bugs into the house and hidded them, and I got out of bed to play with them even though I'm not supposed to get out of bed," Santana recites in a mumble.

"Brittany says you gave her some trouble about going in the bath as well," Shelby tells her. "Why did you do that? You normally behave yourself with Brittany," she adds. "You know it was naughty of you to do that, don't you?" She sighs softly, Santana only able to nod due to the lump in her throat. "Okay, stand up," Shelby tells her and Santana's eyes widen.

"No, mama! Please don't!" Santana pleads, her bottom lip quivering and her dark eyes filling with tears.

"Come here, Santana," Shelby orders firmly, pointing to the spot in front of her. Santana whimpers and shuffles to her mama, letting out a small sob as her sweatpants and panties are pulled down to mid thigh. Shelby bends Santana over her lap and lays five sharp smacks to the girl's bare behind before standing her back up and pulling her clothes back into place. She opens her arms and Santana all but dives into them, crying softly into the crook of her mama's neck. "Next time I have to speak to you about getting out of bed or being naughty for your sisters, you'll be across my lap for much longer," Shelby sternly says, gently rubbing Santana's bottom through her sweatpants. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes, mama," Santana murmurs, her voice muffled against Shelby's neck.

"Good. I want you to apologise to big girl Brittany the next time you see her. I want you to have an early night tonight, okay?"

"But you spanked me," Santana whines. She's getting _more_ punishment?!

"I know, baby girl, and that was for your behaviour last night. I'm not sending you to bed early tonight as a punishment, I'm doing it because you really need it, sweetheart. You haven't gotten a lot of sleep lately, and you have dark circles under your eyes," Shelby explains softly. "I think you really do need to try and get a decent nights sleep," she adds.

"Just tonight?" Santana questions with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, babe," Shelby chuckles, "just tonight. You can have a nice, relaxing bath with some lavender in it and then we'll read a story, then we'll relax on your bed until you fall asleep. I really do think it's needed, honey."

"Okay, but just tonight," Santana states seriously.

0-00-0

Shelby lets out a contented sigh as she slumps down on the sofa, smiling as she watches Quinn teach Brittany how to play some sort of game. She's glad that Santana had gone to bed with no arguments or tears. Whether Santana wanted to admit to it or not, Shelby knows the girl has felt exhausted lately. Santana had, after all, fallen asleep only a few minutes after getting into bed. Now, Shelby has an hour before Brittany's bedtime and three hours until Quinn's, after that she can continue whining about her hangover to Cassandra.

"Five minutes until bath time, Britt," Shelby tells her youngest, smiling at the look of excitement on the young girl's face.

"Quinn go too?" Brittany asks eagerly, Quinn's face immediately falling. She loves her little sisters but sharing the tub with either of them is her worst nightmare. Bath time is chill time for Quinn, Brittany turns into a splash monster at bathtime.

"No, angel, Quinn will have one later," Shelby tells Brittany kindly, "she prefers to have the tub to herself because she's greedy," she adds, shooting Quinn a teasing grin. "But, she is going to take you upstairs and help you get undressed while I go help aunt Cass load the dishwasher," Shelby says, glancing at Quinn and jerking her head in the direction of the staircase.

"Okay," Quinn sighs, "c'mon, Britt." Quinn stands up and holds her hand out to Brittany, leading her youngest sister towards the door.

"Try and keep the noise down, Santana is sleeping," Shelby calls after them before heading into the kitchen. She's somewhat relieved to see that Cassandra has already finished cleaning up in the kitchen, she has zero energy left. "I'm too old to drink like we did last night," Shelby grumbles, earning a laugh from her sister.

"I told you to drink plenty of water before you went to bed," Cassandra states with a smirk. "I did and I feel pretty good today."

"That's because you were too busy sucking face with that guy," Shelby notes with a roll of her dark hazel eyes. "Ugh, I feel awful."

"Why don't you head to bed, I can take care of the girls for you," Cassandra offers, taking pity on her.

"Thanks, but I'll just go once they're both asleep," Shelby responds. "We always spend some time together while they're falling asleep. It's kinda my special time with each of them."

"Are you sure? I'm sure they'd understand."

"I'd feel bad about it. It's not like I'm sick, you know. I have a hangover," Shelby shrugs. "It's not their fault that their mama can't handle alcohol anymore," she chuckles lightly. "I'm gonna go give Brittany her bath, if I send Quinn down would you make sure she doesn't make too much of a mess?"

"Sure thing," Cassandra smiles.

"Thanks." Shelby grabs more coffee and takes it upstairs with her, heading into the bathroom to fill the tub. She sits on the edge of the tub and nurses her coffee close to her chest as she waits, relieved that Quinn and Brittany don't seem to be making much noise. Tomorrow, she plans to take Quinn out on their own, to enjoy some time with her on her own like she plans to do with each of them. Hopefully, Santana won't misbehave for Cassandra. Shelby doubts she would, none of the girls ever seemed to be naughty whilst around Cassandra.

"Mama, potty!" Shelby looks up as Brittany crawls into the bathroom, clad only in her diaper.

"You want to use the potty, baby girl?" Shelby asks in surprise.

"Uh huh," Brittany nods, causing Shelby's eyebrows to rise in surprise. "Potty," she repeats seriously. Shelby nods, with a small smile, and steps forward to help Brittany out of her diaper. She leads her to the toilet and goes to grab another diaper but stops.

"Would you prefer a pull-up?" Shelby questions. Holly had been correct, Brittany would let her know when she wanted to go back to using pull-ups.

"Uh huh. Please, mama."

"Okay, babe," Shelby nods, grabbing a pull-up from the cupboard underneath the sink. After helping Brittany clean up and helping her into the bath, Shelby lays the pull-up on the counter and calls for Quinn, asking her to bring Brittany some pajamas.

"Bubbles please, mama," Brittany demands with an adorable, crooked grin and waving at Quinn as she hands pajamas to Shelby.

_"More_ bubbles?!" Shelby gasps dramatically, playfully swatting Quinn when the girl ruffles her hair, shaking her head in amusement as Quinn rushes back out of the bathroom. "There won't be any room for you if we put more bubbles in!" Brittany giggles and splashes her hands down, bubbles flying up into the air. Shelby smiles as she watches her play, deciding to give her a little more time before she washes Brittany's hair and brings her out of the tub. She looks too happy just now, there's no need to rush her while she's enjoying herself. Shelby's definitely glad she didn't just go to bed and feel sorry for herself. Just watching Brittany giggling and playing helps her to feel better. Still, she doesn't think she'll be drinking again for a long time.

_**To be continued... **_

_**Next chapter; Brittany and Santana's talk, and Shelby and Quinn's special night out.**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter. I appreciate all of your feedback.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 23

Brittany grins as she notices Santana's car in the parking lot as she trudges out of school. She loves that Santana picks her up whenever she's out of her own classes early enough, and she definitely appreciates it today. School had just been awful today, she'd been paired with Sugar for an english project first thing this morning and that had just destroyed her good mood. Brittany isn't at all happy that Sugar will need to come over to the house to work on the project with her. She glances up at the car as she walks across the parking lot and she can tell that Santana is watching her, even though she is wearing dark aviators. Brittany beams at her and quickens her pace, all but diving into the front passenger seat as soon as she reaches the car.

"Hi," she chirps, leaning across the centre console to kiss Santana deeply.

"Hi to you, too," Santana smirks, impressed with Brittany's greeting. "How was your day?"

"It was alright," Brittany shrugs. "How was yours?"

"I didn't really do much," Santana murmurs as she starts the car. "It was kind of boring. I got your note this morning, I bought us coffee and I thought we could go to the park or something?"

"My note?" Brittany frowns, searching her memory. "Oh, right, my note."

"Yeah, you said you wanted to talk," Santana tells her, "should I be nervous?"

"No, not at all. It's nothing bad, I just wanted to talk to you about, like, my future and stuff," Brittany smiles reassuringly.

"College?" Santana questions, glancing at Brittany as she pulls the car out of the parking lot.

"Well, yeah, college but I've been thinking about other stuff as well," Brittany murmurs. Santana nods for her to continue. "I really like looking after little Santana, and little Quinn too, and I've been thinking about working more hours with mom and Holly. Maybe, like, sit in on a couple of sessions or something. You know, if the clients are okay with it."

"Hmm, I thought you would," Santana smiles.

"You did?"

"Yeah. I know you like looking after little Santana and Quinn," Santana shrugs. "You're good at it, too. If that's something you want to look into as a career option then you should go for it, Britt," Santana encourages her.

"I don't know if I do, I just want to try it out," Brittany states, smiling fondly at her girlfriend. She's so glad that Santana is supporting this. "I just thought I should I should talk to you about it first, you're my girlfriend and I don't know if it would effect our future or anything. You know, if we had kids or whatever."

"I appreciate that, I really do. I'm glad you did tell me but, at the end of the day, Britt, it's your decision. I'll support you whatever you decide, and if we have kids then they're gonna be raised to not judge others, we can still have kids. Whatever you want to do, I'm okay with," Santana states sincerely.

"You're awesome, you know that?" Brittany leans over and places a sloppy kiss to Santana's cheek, causing her to grin.

"I learned from the best," Santana winks. "Seriously, Britt, you don't need to worry about what I'm going to say about things. Do what makes you happy, it's you that has to live with a career choice, and I don't want you to end up doing something you hate just because it seems easier."

"No, I know.." Brittany smiles, "I guess I was worried because I know you have absolutely no interest in being the adult in an age-play situation and.."

"But you do," Santana interjects. "Yeah, I don't want to do it but that's why I'm not checking it out as a career option," she states softly. "Do what you want to do, Britt. I'll support you."

"Thank you," Brittany murmurs sincerely. "Now I feel like treating you to Breadstix," she adds with a teasing smile.

"I am perfectly okay with that. If buying me dinner at Breadstix makes you happy then I will suffer through it," Santana states faux seriously.

"You're such a dork," Brittany chuckles. "Alright, Breadstix it is."

"So, how did your day _really_ go?" Santana asks, flashing Brittany a knowing look. Brittany sighs softly, she should have known that Santana would see right through her.

"I got paired with Sugar for an english assignment, she has to come to the house to work on it sometime this week," Brittany grumbles. "I just really, really don't like her."

"Can't you ask your teacher if you can have another partner?" Santana asks, a sympathetic pout on her lips. "Or...just make sure I'm there when she's at the house. I will kick that bitch's ass if she so much as looks at you the wrong way," Santana tells her seriously.

"Yeah, but then what would mom do to _your_ ass if you did that?" Brittany asks with a pointed expression on her face.

"It'd be worth it," Santana shrugs. "...Maybe."

0-00-0

Shelby sighs heavily as she ends her phonecall with Holly. This is all she needs, Sugar in her house. Holly had been concerned, too, but Shelby doesn't think that she grasps just how bad an idea it could be for Brittany and Sugar to work together. Sure, Brittany would be able to handle Sugar and her obnoxious nature, but Santana wouldn't be able to. Shelby doesn't understand why Sugar is so desperate to get started tonight, she never seemed like the kind of person who rushed to start homework. At least Cassandra would be here while she is out with Quinn. She really doesn't want to cancel on their night out.

"Mama? Can we go now?" Shelby looks up at Quinn and smiles. The good thing about little Quinn being eight is that they can go out in public while she is her little self without Quinn needing to break character. Especially since she's a mature eight year old. They're going out of town for their night out though as people they knew, adult Quinn's friends, would be able to see that she's acting different. Shelby wouldn't mind if people found out that they were age-playing, but the girls don't want people to know, and she respects that.

"Just a second, baby. I need to wait for your sisters to get home first, I need to talk to them about something really quickly. Then we can go, okay?" Shelby smile kindly.

"Okay, mama!" Quinn states with an angelic smile. "I'm real excited!"

"Me too, sweetheart," Shelby beams. "Why don't you go put your shoes on so we can leave as soon as your sisters get here," she suggests, chuckling softly as Quinn rushes back out of the room. Shelby wanders into the living room where her sister is watching some awful, ade for tv, movie. "That was Holly, Sugar and Brittany have been paired together for an assignment, she's coming over here tonight. Can you just make sure that Santana doesn't kill her?" Shelby asks, only half joking.

"Yeah, sure. I can handle Santana, no matter what age she is," Cassandra assures her. "Is Sugar really that bad?"

"Let's put it this way," Shelby begins, "Little Sugar irritated little Santana so much that little Santana went to bed with a sore behind, and adult Sugar kinda had Brittany scared to go to school," she explains. "She's kind of a brat, whether she's age-playing or not."

"I'll keep an eye on them," Cassandra states, cocking her head in the direction of the garage. "I think they're home."

"Yeah, that's them," Shelby nods. "As you will have noticed, Santana is very protective of Brittany and she already hates Sugar because of how she makes Brittany feel," Shelby murmurs. "It won't take much for Santana to lose her temper with her," she adds.

"It'll be fine, I promise," Cassandra replies seriously.

"What will be fine?" Santana asks, leading Brittany into the room. "Hi," she adds, quickly kissing Shelby's cheek.

"Hey, did you girls have a good day?" Shelby asks.

"Yeah. What will be fine?" Santana repeats suspiciously.

"Sugar is coming over tonight to work on your project." Shelby directs her comment at Brittany. "Holly just called, she's going to drop her off in a couple of hours."

"Oh. Okay," Brittany nods. "That's cool."

"Are you sure?" Shelby questions, her eyes filled with concern. She really doesn't want Brittany to feel uncomfortable here. This is their home; the place they're supposed to feel comfortable in. Their safe space. "I can ask Holly to bring her over on another night if you'd like? A night when I'm home."

"Nah, it's just homework," Brittany shrugs. "It'll be fine. I'm gonna go get changed," she adds. The other three watch her leave the room before both Shelby and Cassandra turn to face Santana.

"Do not let her get to you," Shelby states firmly. "Little Santana pushing her over was bad enough, do not let her push your buttons tonight, Santana. I mean it, if she does something you don't like then tell Cassandra. I know you're not a child, but I do not want you losing your temper with Sugar," Shelby warns.

"Yeah, because I don't care how old you are, I will totally tan your behind if I need to," Cassandra interjects.

"Jeez, nice to know you have so much confidence in me," Santana sarcastically mutters, choosing to leave out the fact that she offered to kick Sugar's ass only a little while ago. "I'll stay calm, alright? I just don't see why we have to have her in the house, I don't trust her."

"I'm going to keep an eye on her," Cassandra reassures her. "If she does anything that upsets either of us, I will ask her to leave. I promise." Santana studies the blonde woman for a moment before nodding stiffly. Sugar better be fucking perfect while she's there. Santana really doesn't care if it results in her not being able to sit for a month, if she needs to; she will put Sugar in her place. Okay, she cares...but, still, it would be worth it.

_**Just a small filler chapter as I'm bringing back FP Thursdays and have big plans for this story, I just didn't want to leave you guys waiting too long without at least giving you something.**_

_**To be continued...Please review.**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**FP Thursdays are finally back! Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter!**_

_**Reminder: Rachel will NOT be in this story, and Beth never happened in this universe. I know you guys want certain things to happen (and not happen) but please give it time. This story still has a long way to go, please let it play out.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 24

Santana scowls deeply as she walks into the kitchen to find Sugar and Brittany working on their project at the table, trying to gain eye contact with Brittany to ensure that she's okay. She's relieved when clear, blue eyes meet her brown ones, her features softening when Brittany smiles at her. She's fine. Santana busies herself with making fresh coffee for herself and Cassandra, listening closely as Sugar explains something to Brittany. The patient, gentle tone that Sugar uses surprises her. Santana had expected her to be condescending and harsh, but she has been pleasant. In the hour since Sugar arrived, Santana had been on her toes, coiled like a panther, ready to pounce if she needs to. Cassandra had been keeping a close watch on all of them, keeping the volume on the tv low so she could listen out for any issues coming from the kitchen. She's no longer concerned. In fact, she only sent Santana to make coffee so that the teenager could see for herself that everything is going smoothly. At least then Santana would relax.

"Mr Schue never makes it sound this easy," Santana hears Brittany mumble. "I thought he'd be better at teaching history but he kinda sucks at that, too."

"Totally," Sugar nods. "Holly always has to explain it to me when I do my homework. I'm surprised he's even allowed to teach. Especially when he always favours the male students." Santana smirks at this, keeping her back to Brittany and Sugar as she pours the coffee. "He's clearly too busy talking to the elves in his hair to care about improving his teaching style." Santana bites her bottom lip to hold back a laugh. Damn it. She likes her.

"Yeah," Brittany chuckles. "He sucks so bad. I don't think he gives a damn that I'm repeating, he never seems interested in helping me out with anything. My mom researches stuff to help me out, and Santana and Quinn show me their old notes."

"You're lucky. I'm seriously considering buying test answers from the guy who smells like he's homeless," Sugar sighs.

"Oh, that's Brett. Don't do that, they're fake test answers," Brittany tells her. "Santana did it in junior year, it did not go well. You can borrow the notes I have."

"Is that okay?" Sugar asks softly, shooting a nervous glance at the back of Santana's head.

"Yeah, of course. Right, Santana?" Santana holds back a sigh and looks over her shoulder at them, nodding with a tight smile. "See? We can always study together if you want to? Imagine Schue's surprise when the two girls he passes off as dumb both get an A." Santana walks back to the living room with the coffees, leaving Brittany and Sugar to their conversation, and homework. She places the mugs on the coffee table and slumps down next to Cassandra with a sigh.

"How's it going in there?" Cassandra asks, tearing her eyes away from the tv to look at the young woman she views as her niece.

"They seem to be getting along really well," Santana mutters. "It's weird."

"Weird? How so?"

"I dunno, I just don't trust her, aunt C," Santana sighs, her fingers pulling at a loose thread on one of the throw cushions.

"What has Sugar done wrong?" Cassandra questions softly, turning and leaning one shoulder against the back of the sofa so that she is facing Santana. "I mean, I heard that little Sugar is a complete brat and that little Santana had some issues with her, but what has adult Sugar done wrong?"

"She makes Britt uncomfortable at school, Britt didn't even want to go," Santana tells her seriously.

"How did she do that?" Cassandra pushes. "Did she actually do anything wrong? Or was it just her presence there that was the issue? Your mom told me that Brittany got a little freaked out when she saw her there. That Brittany was scared of her home life and school life mixing and people finding out. Did Sugar actually do anything?" Santana opens her mouth to respond, but falters.

"No," she eventually sighs, "I guess not. I haven't really thought about it like that," Santana admits quietly. "I just...she makes us all nervous, I guess."

"Don't you think that's maybe your guys' issue?" Cassandra murmurs gently, "and not Sugar's? If she hasn't done anything wrong..." she trails off, realising that Santana has gotten the message.

"Yeah," Santana sighs. "When did you turn into my mom? It's kind of weird how similar you are now. She probably would say the exact same thing. Wait, why didn't she already tell me that?" Santana asks with a confused frown.

"Maybe because she's looking at it the same way you have," Cassandra guesses. "All of you are concerned about Britt because she's been worrying about it, and you're all completely right to be concerned about her. We all love her, but you've been so freaked about how she's feeling that none of you have really stopped to think about it."

"That makes sense, and they _are_ getting along really well," Santana notes. "Little Sugar still sucks," she adds, causing Cassandra to roll her eyes. "Man, it's gonna suck when you go back to New York next week."

"Yeah, I know. I'll come back at spring break to see you guys, though. Or you could all come and hang out with me. We could hit broadway."

"Mom would love that," Santana nods, grinning. "Actually, I think we all would."

"See, it doesn't suck that much that I'm going back to New York."

0-00-0

Shelby grins as Quinn slips her hands into hers as they walk into the mall a few towns away from Lima. It does kinda suck that Quinn can't feel comfortable being her little self out and about the streets of Lima, but if travelling for an hour or so means she and her little girl can enjoy some quality time together; Shelby is more than happy to do it. Quinn grips onto Shelby's hand a little tighter as they pass a group of young teenagers. Shelby isn't worried, though. Most eight year olds would find it daunting to walk passed a group of older children, even when they're with their mama. She knows that, to outsiders, they make look a little strange. People would assume that Quinn is too old to be holding her mother's hand or, like one time when she was out with Brittany, they assume that Shelby is a cougar. She doesn't care what other people think. Shelby knows they're not what is considered a "normal" family, but they all love each other and support each other so, to her, their family is more normal than half of the families in Lima.

"Mama? Can we go somewhere quiet for dinner?" Quinn asks her softly, her hazel eyes wide and serious.

"Of course, baby girl," Shelby replies. She knows that Quinn hates noisy restaurants, and she doesn't blame her. Who wants to yell at their dinner companion just so they can hear each other throughtout the meal? Nobody. Shelby knows just where to go. Holly had told her about the place her brother owned inside the mall, a small and intimate little place that was never busy. Plus, Holly's brother wouldn't judge them if he overheard any of their conversations and would not be surprised when he found out that the girl who looks nineteen, is eight in her mindset. She leads Quinn through the mall, finding Holly's brother's place at the furthest end and urging her inside. It's just as Holly described it. Quiet. Shelby smiles as she spots Mark, Holly's brother, and he shows them to a table at the back of the room with a smile. Mark produces crayons and a child's menu for Quinn, handing them to her with a wink. He disappears as soon as Shelby tells them their drink order, and Shelby has to smile; he's so like Holly.

"I'm glad we came out on our own, mama," Quinn states with a shy smile, glancing up at Shelby as she colours the characters on her menu.

"So am I, babe," Shelby smiles. "It's nice to have a chance to spend some time with you without being distracted." Sure, Shelby loves all of her girls equally, and loves their family time, but she adores being able to spend some time with each girl on their own. Quinn's so smart, even at eight years old she knows facts that Shelby doesn't, and she loves learning them.

"Can we do it more often?" Quinn asks her with a sweet smile, a smile that Shelby always finds almost impossible to say no to.

"Yeah. Definitely. I promised your sisters that I'd spend special time with them, too, but we can definitely do this more often," Shelby promises, smiling politely when a waitress places their drinks in front of them.

"Santana and Brittany would hate it here," Quinn notes, causing Shelby to chuckle lightly.

"Yes. Yes, they would," Shelby nods. "It's nice to be somewhere quiet, huh?"

"Yeah," Quinn agrees. "I like being with them, but they're _really_ loud," Quinn states seriously. "Are you going to date Dave?" Shelby, who had been sipping her coffee, chokes when she hears the blunt question. She eyes her oldest daughter for a moment, carefully choosing her words.

"Well, no. Not at the moment," Shelby tells her honestly. "We might date again, I don't know yet. Would you be okay with mama dating him?"

"Yeah, he's nice," Quinn shrugs. "He was really nice to me and Santana after we were mean to him, and Santana really likes him."

"What about you, babe? Do you like him?" Shelby softly questions, schooling her features as she gazes at Quinn, trying to work out what the girl is thinking. One of the things that Shelby most loves about her girls is that they are honest. At times, brutally, and at times when she'd like them to be quiet, but always honest. Sure, there is sometimes little white lies, about cheating at board games or eating the last cookie, but when it matters; they are honest.

"He's nice, but I don't know him very well, mama," Quinn tells her with a shrug. Shelby nods, it's a valid point. "If Santana likes him, then he can't be horrible," Quinn reasons. "Cause she doesn't like very many people." Shelby has to laugh at that; yet another valid point. "I don't not like him, though."

"Well, sweetheart, I don't know what's gonna happen between David and I, but you girls will always come first. No matter what. The four of us are a family and that is very special, and important, to me," Shelby says sincerely.

"I know, mama. We all know that," Quinn retorts matter of factly. She pauses when the waitress comes back to take their food order, waiting until the woman is completely out of earshot before continuing. "You looked happy with him, I like it when you're happy, mama."

"I'm happy when I'm with you and your sisters, babe," Shelby assures her. "I'm very happy, you and your sisters are my whole world. You know that."

"Yeah, but it's a different kind of happy," Quinn retorts, surprising Shelby. "Lke, you like kissing him and it's different 'cause you kiss David differently than you kiss us." Shelby nods, urging Quinn to continue. "And when you came back from your dates with him, your lipstick was all smeared so I knew you were kissing him," Quinn informs her mama, Shelby blushing lightly as she tries to work out what her girl is going to say next. "You were smiling lots, so you must like kissing him. If you like kissing someone, why would you stop?" Quinn asks, as though it's the most obvious, and simple, thing in the world.

"It's a little more complicated than that, babe," Shelby murmurs. "It's not all about kissing."

"It should be."

"And why is that?" Shelby questions, an amused grin spreading across her face.

"Because kissing makes you smile, and when you smile it's 'cause you're happy. Why wouldn't someone want to kiss, and smile, and be happy?" Quinn sighs softly, grown ups are so difficult. "If kissing David makes you happy, then you should kiss him." Shelby smiles tenderly at her girl, leaning across the table and kissing her cheek, wondering how on earth she had been so lucky to find such amazing girls. Clearly, she did something right in a past life.

_**Depending on how many of you would like this idea, I was thinking about updating this twice a week. What do you think?**_

_**Next chapter is back to basics, the four of them together on their own. Trouble ensues!**_

_**To be continued...Please review.**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you very much for all of your reviews for this story so far, they are much appreciated.**_

_**You guys seem excited about two updates a week, so I will be updating this on Sundays as well as Thursdays. I usually have plans during the day on Sundays, and sometimes it turns into an evening thing as well, so it won't be every single Sunday. Most Sundays, though.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 25

Shelby wakes up to the sound of crying, and it takes her a moment to realise that's coming from the edge of the bed. Blinking rapidly several times, in an attempt to wake herself up and to clear the sleepy haze that blurs her gaze, she focus on Santana. The girl is standing right next to her bed and rubbing her bottom while fat tears roll down her cheeks. It doesn't take a genius to work out what happened, and Shelby wonders what Santana did to make Cassandra spank her. Sighing softly, she pulls the duvet back so that Santana can slip into bed next to her, the girl immediately latching onto her and crying into her shoulder. Shelby notices Cassandra in the doorway, Cassandra quietly telling her what happened and explaining that she had dealt with it before leaving them alone again.

"Why wouldn't you listen to aunt Cassandra, honey?" Shelby quietly questions, her voice still thick from sleep. She gently rubs Santana's back, waiting patiently for the hiccuping to die down so that Santana can answer her. It surprises her that Santana wouldn't allow Cassandra to comfort her after her spanking, but she also knows that, sometimes, being comforted by someone who isn't your mama just isn't enough.

"I didn't want to stop playing," Santana whimpers, lifting her head and looking up at her mama with a pout so adorable that Shelby almost wants to cry as well.

"I know you love playing with your toys, baby girl, but when you're told to clean them up, you do it. You don't say no and throw a tantrum, that's not how it works," Shelby explains, her tone firm, but gentle. "Remember what I told you about grown ups? What did I tell you about aunt Holly and aunt Cassandra?"

"That I need to listen to them," Santana recites from memory, "but only adults that you introduce me to."

"That's right," Shelby nods. "So the next time one of those adults tell you to do something, what are you going to do?" she coaxes.

"Do it," Santana whispers softly, her fingers fiddling with Shelby's hair. "Are you going to spank me?"

"No, sweetheart. Aunt Cassandra already punished you, it's all over now," Shelby reassures her. "Did you tell her you were sorry and give her a hug?"

"Yeah, mama. Just a little hug, though," Santana replies seriously. I wanted to see you really badly."

"Well...maybe you could give her another hug when we go downstairs for breakfast," Shelby suggests. "A nice big one." Shelby knows that Cassandra may be feeling guilty about having to punish her, she still does when she has to. Receiving a hug or kiss from her girls after she has punished them always makes her feel better. It reminds her that she was right to punish them, and reassures her that they're not mad at her for doing so. "Why don't you go on downstairs, mama will be down in a minute. Are your sisters awake?"

"Quinn isn't. She's being super lazy this morning, mama."

"Alright," Shelby chuckles. "I'll wake her up and bring her down for breakfast. Try and stay out of trouble, little one. Okay?" Shelby smiles when Santana nods and clambers out of bed, the girl shooting her an angelic smile before rushing off to do as she is told. Shelby sighs softly and stretches before sliding her legs over the edge of the bed, one of these days she will get a chance to sleep passed seven. She hopes. After finishing up in the bathroom, Shelby makes her way into Quinn's bedroom and sits on the edge of the girl's bed. "It's time to wake up, baby," she coos softly, brushing Quinn's soft, blonde hair out of her face. "C'mon, Quinn, it's morning." She can tell that Quinn is awake. She always knows when one of her girls are pretending to sleep. "Huh...well I guess the rest of us can eat all of the bacon without your help," Shelby sighs teasingly, standing up. She heads towards the door and smirks to herself as she hears Quinn's mattress creaking.

"Don't let Santana eat it all," Quinn tells her as she attempts to hurry passed her mama, being stopped by Shelby's arms wrapping around her.

"Good morning," Shelby grins, placing a kiss into Quinn's hair. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, but, mama..."

"Yeah, babe?"

"I really have to pee!" Shelby laughs and lets her go, shaking her head in amusement as Quinn quickly rushes to the bathroom. "Save me some bacon!" Quinn yells as the bathroom door slams closed. She rolls her eyes as she walks downstairs, smiling when she reaches the kitchen to find big girl Brittany making breakfast.

"Morning, mom," Brittany grins, pausing in her cooking to sweetly kiss Shelby's cheek.

"Morning, honey." Shelby pours herself a coffee and checks the time, she still has an hour before she needs to leave for work. Sitting down at the table, she smile at the sight of Santana sitting on Cassandra's knee, Santana listening intently to whatever her aunt is telling her. "Do you need a hand, Britt?"

"Nah, it's okay," Brittany waves her off. "I'm almost finished. I'm meeting Sugar at the Lima Bean soon, we're gonna do some studying. I'll be fully prepared when school starts back up again."

"Sounds good, babe," Shelby notes with pride in her tone. "I'm proud of you for working so hard this year. You're doing really great." Brittany ducks her head shyly, a wide smile pulling at the corners of her lips as she finishes making breakfast. Shelby isn't surprised when it's big girl Quinn who finally joins them in the kitchen, she knows Quinn has to work later today. In fact, the only day that all four of them aren't working or busy is New Year's day. At least it's only two days away.

"I uh...I need to go to Columbus today," Cassandra tells her vaguely. "I'm gonna stay overnight there and head back here tomorrow night." Shelby frowns, their parents are in Columbus. She knows that Cassandra kept it vague for a reason, though, so she nods. She can always get an explanation later.

"Alright, I'll call Holly and tell her I can't make it in today," Shelby tells her, her features and tone neutral. Shelby knows she could always ask for big girl Santana so that she could go to work, but she hates the idea of doing that. She'd only ever do that in an emergency. It defeats the purpose of them having this escape if she asks them not to be their little selves.

"Santana could stay with me," Brittany interjects. "I can ask Sugar to meet me here instead of the Lima Bean." Shelby nods, that could work.

"No!" She turns to look at Santana and is taken aback by the scowl on her face. "I don't wanna be with Sugar. I wanna be with you, mama!"

"Mama has to work, baby girl, but we can hang out just as soon as I'm finished," Shelby states reassuringly. "I promise."

"Noooo! Please, mama. Can I come with you?" Santana asks desperately, ignoring the pop on the leg she receives from Cassandra for her tone.

"Sweetheart..." Shelby falters. She has been about to say that Santana would have fun hanging out with Brittany and Sugar, but the girls are going to be studying. They probably wouldn't be able to get much studying done with Santana bugging them about being bored, which would inevitably happen. "Alright. You can come to work with me, but you better be on your best behaviour. I mean it, Santana."

"I'll be extra, extra good, mama. I swear," Santana tells her seriously. Shelby sighs softly, studying Santana for a moment before nodding. She's pretty sure she's going to regret this decision.

0-00-0

After two hours of studying, Brittany decides that she'd like to find the person who decided to put the alphabet into math and kick them in the shin. Hard. Even between the two of them, she and Sugar still couldn't work out the last few questions of their homework. She's usually pretty good at math, and she usually kinda likes it but, after today, she never wants to see another math problem ever again. Brittany remembers what her mom had told her; it's not giving up if you want to take a break. It's only giving up if you don't go back to it, and it's always okay to ask for help. Standing up, she tells Sugar that she's going outside for some fresh air and makes her way out of the Lima Bean. Once outside she leans against the walls and sighs. She's exhausted and it's not even noon. Brittany pulls her cell phone out of her pocket and frowns when she notices the three missed calls. She had forgotten that it was on silent.

"Crap," she mutters. Two from Shelby, and one from Holly, and four texts telling her to call back as soon as she can. Brittany tries Shelby's cell first, her frown deepening when it goes straight to voice mail. After trying Holly's cell, it rings out, she decides she needs to go over there. Neither she nor Sugar drove here so she calls for a cab, and heads inside to tell Sugar that she has to go. Of course, as soon as she tells Sugar, the other girl decides to come. If Holly is involved in whatever is happening, then Sugar wants to know what it is. Brittany doesn't blame her, she would be the same if it was the other way around. The drive to Shelby and Holly's office is quiet and anxious, the cab driver talking to them while they don't even pretend to listen. Brittany all but throws herself out of the car as soon as it reaches the office, leaving Sugar to pay the driver while she rushes to the door and holds her finger down on the buzzer. After what feels like forever, Holly opens the door and ushers them in, Santana sprinting from another room and clinging to Brittany.

"I woke up and mama wasn't here! Aunt Holly wouldn't let me go see her," Santana yells over whatever Holly is trying to say.

"Santana!" Brittany holds up her hand, Santana immediately falling into silence. "Give me a chance to talk to aunt Holly, sweetheart. I don't know where mama is either, okay?" Santana frowns, but nods, and shuffles over to an armchair in the corner of the room, slumping unhappily onto it. "I tried to call you back, what's going on?"

"Sugar, can you give us a minute please, honey?" Holly watches as Sugar heads into her office, waiting until she is out of earshot before continuing, "I know, Santana was freaking out and I didn't get to it on time. I got your text and saw you were on your way so I didn't see the point in calling you back. Look, don't panic, but Quinn got into a little car accident on her way to work earlier," Holly informs her gently.

"What?! Is she okay?" Brittany demands.

"As far as I know, yes. She was alert enough to talk to your mom on the phone," Holly reassures her. "She's on her way to the hospital now. Now, Santana overheard part of my conversation with your mom so she knows Quinn was in an accident. She's been in and out of her age-play states, I think she's freaking out."

"She feels safer when she's little Santana, it's her safe place," Brittany murmurs, glancing across at Santana.

"I think it might be best to take her home then, allow her to be little Santana," Holly tells her quietly. "If you want to go to the hospital, then I can take her for you."

"Uh..no, it's okay. I'll take her. I'll call my mom once I'm home, uh thanks, Holly."

"Are you okay? Do you need a ride?" Holly asks her softly.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Brittany nods. "Just gimme a second to talk to Santana?" Holly nods, and Brittany walks over to Santana, crouching down in front of the chair and placing her hands on Santana's knees. "It's okay to be little Santana right now," she murmurs reassuringly. "Aunt Holly told me that Quinn talked to mama on the phone so she's okay. I know it's scary, it's okay to be scared."

"I don't have to stay here with aunt Holly, do I?" Santana questions quietly, her brown eyes wide and worried.

"No, sweetheart. You and I are gonna go home. Aunt Holly is going to drive us there and then we'll call mama." Brittany voice is soft and warm, and she reaches out to cup Santana's face in her hands. "If big girl Santana wants to come out then that's okay, but it's okay to be little Santana," Brittany repeats. Santana seems to be taking her words to heart and Brittany is relieved. "Come here, big girl." Brittany opens her arms and Santana leans into the embrace, tightly clinging to Brittany. "It's okay, babe," Brittany coos, gently rubbing little Santana's back. She wonders if anyone has called Cassandra. She knows that she's visiting her and Shelby's parents, but she doesn't understand why. Neither of them had spoken to their parents in a long time. Brittany shakes that thought of her head, she doesn't need to worry about that. Not right now, anyway. Let's deal with one thing at a time.

_**Okay, so not what any of you were expecting. I had a different plan for this chapter, but I added some things to my story plan yesterday so things went a little differently.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed! Please review.**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you very much for all of your reviews for this story so far, they are much appreciated.**_

_**As promised...**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 26

Shelby places her hand on Quinn's lower back as she leads her out of the emergency room. She's amazed that Quinn only has some bumps, cuts, and bruises to show for her accident as the car looks completely wrecked. Shelby had arrived at the hospital only a few hours ago, yet she feels as though they had been there for hours. She's exhausted. Thankfully, Quinn is okay. That's the main thing. As they make their way out to Shelby's car, Shelby feels a little anger mingle with her relief. Quinn had quietly admitted to her, when she first got to the hospital, that she had been texting while driving. She still can't believe it, she thought all of her girls knew better than that. Brittany had been shocked, to say the least, when Shelby told her over the phone. It seemed so unlike Quinn. She's usually very cautious.

"Let's get you home," Shelby murmurs as they climb into her car. As much as she wants to lecture Quinn, Shelby can see how shaken up the girl is. She also knows that she's in a lot of pain; no matter how much Quinn tries to hide it. It could be worse. Sure, she's a little banged up and she'll probably be hurting for a few days, but she's alive and in one piece; it definitely could be worse. "Your aunt called a little while ago, while you were in x-ray. She was going to come home early, but I told her not," Shelby informs her. "She said to tell you that she loves you, and that she's going to kill you when she gets back."

"Sounds like aunt Cass," Quinn mumbles, relieved that nothing else is said about the accident. She knows Shelby and the others are mad at her for texting, but she also knows that they'll let her recover a little before laying into her. "I'm sorry."

"I know," Shelby nods. "I'm gonna stop off and pick up some pizza before we go home, and then the four of us are going to relax and spend some time with each other. I have a feeling that little Santana won't be letting you out of her sight for a while."

"She knows?"

"She overheard Holly while we were speaking on the phone," Shelby sighs. "Brittany's looking after her. I think she needs to be little Santana right now. She's scared." Quinn nods, being little Santana helps her to deal with things that she finds hard to handle as an adult. They fall into silence due to Shelby not having one clue what to say to Quinn, and Quinn feeling too ashamed of herself to try and start a conversation. The only time the silence is broken is when Shelby rolls the car to a stop outside of their favourite pizza place and mumbles that she'll be right back. Quinn curses herself. She's seen so many news reports, and read so many stories on the internet, about people who had gotten themselves, and others, because they were texting while driving. She's so disappointed in herself, and she knows that her family are, too.

"Jesus," Quinn breathes out as Shelby slides back into the car. "You scared me." She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed that twenty minutes had passed.

"Sorry," Shelby murmurs, handing the pizzas to Quinn. Shelby lets out a soft sigh as she starts the car and pulls into the road, internally debating with herself while she drives she and Quinn home. "After dinner and the movie, I'd like you to go upstairs and spend the rest of the evening in your bedroom," Shelby eventually states.

"Okay." Shelby is surprised by Quinn's response. She wasn't sure what to expect from the teenager. She's never had to punish big girl Quinn before, and Shelby didn't know how Quinn would take it. She had punished big girl Santana before but that had been different. It hadn't been discussed, it was just Shelby taking control of a bad situation and automatically reacting like a parent and spanking her. This time it's different because she has more time to think about it, it's not just a case of reacting to a situation. Quinn accepting her authority as her mother, even at almost nineteen years old, has eased Shelby's nerves about it.

"We'll talk about it properly tomorrow," Shelby tells her. "Little Quinn isn't in trouble, I won't treat her any differently. I don't force you to be your adult self, if little Quinn needs, or wants, to come out then that's perfectly okay." Quinn nods and offers her mom a small smile, amazed that the women can be so understanding. They fall back into silence for the last few minutes of their journey home, Quinn lost in thought about what she did and what the repercussions are, and Shelby thinking about how to deal with this. Shelby guides the car into the garage and, once she turns the engine, she turns to face Quinn. "I love you very much, Quinn. No amount of mistakes could ever change that. I'm angry and disappointed that you made the decision to risk your life over a text, but I am also so, so glad that you are okay. I don't know what I would ever do if I lost any of you girls."

"I know, mom," Quinn whispers. "I love you, too, and I am so sorry I let you down," she adds softly. Guilty tears flood her hazel eyes as Shelby leans across the centre console to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. Shelby notices that Quinn is about to say something, and she frowns when the girl falters.

"What is it?" Shelby questions gently, "you can tell me anything."

"I..uh," Quinn takes a deep breath and avoids eye contact with Shelby, "you're my mom. Not just little Quinn's mother, but mine, too. You know that, because we all changed our names and we call you mom, and you act like our mom. I know I'm in a lot of trouble, and I know that you're going to punish me in some way." Quinn sighs softly, trying to choose her words carefully. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I won't hate you for punishing me. You're my mom, so you don't need permission...I just...I won't hate you." Shelby smiles tenderly; that was just what she needed to hear.

"Let's get inside, huh?" Shelby slides out of the car and makes her way around to Quinn's side. She helps the teenager out of the car, her arm lightly resting around Quinn's waist while she leads her into the house. They're met by a panicked Santana, and Shelby has to step in front of Quinn to stop Santana from crashing into her. "Sweetheart, I know you want to hug Quinn, but you need to be really gentle, okay? She's a little sore so you can run and jump on her like you usually do," Shelby explains with a fond smile, kissing Santana's cheek in greeting.

"Okay, I'll be super gentle, mama," Santana tells her with a serious nod, stepping around Shelby and carefully hugging Quinn. "Aunt Holly said you got hurt. I was really scared," Santana murmurs with a pout.

"I'm okay, honey. Just a little bruised, I did something silly but I'm okay," Quinn states reassuring, rubbing Santana's back as the girl snuggles closer to her. She notices Brittany walk out of the living room, the other blonde not even looking at her as she walks to the garage to get the pizzas like Shelby had asked her to. "You don't need to worry about me, I promise. I'm so sorry I scared you," Quinn murmurs sincerely, guilt tugging at her guilt when she feels that Santana is shaking.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Santana asks timidly, gazing at her sister with wide eyes.

"Not tonight," Shelby answers for Quinn. The teenager is much too sore to have Santana in bed with her. Santana thrashes around in her sleep and would most likely hurt Quinn. "But I'm sure Quinn would be more than happy to have a sleepover with you as soon as she's feeling better."

"Definitely," Quinn confirms.

"Go upstairs and pick out some pajamas, I'll be there to help you in a minute," Shelby instructs Santana, glad that Santana doesn't argue and immediately does as she's told. "As soon as Santana goes to bed, you go, too," she tells Quinn quietly. Quinn nods, she knows that she's being allowed to stay and watch the movie for Santana's sake.

"Brittany didn't even look at me," Quinn whispers. "She's mad at me."

"She is," Shelby nods.

"It must have been hard for her, you know, dealing with Santana as well as finding out about my accident."

"We all love you so much that we were terrified to find out you were hurt," Shelby says. "She'll talk to you when she's ready, she's just upset. She told me she had to stop Santana from trying to leave the house earlier because Santana wanted to go yell at the driver who hit you."

"It wasn't his fault, though. If I had been paying attention and hadn't pulled out.."

"I know," Shelby stops her, "but she's five years old and, to her, you and Brittany are the coolest people in the world and can do no wrong. I'm not taking that away from her and, honestly, she doesn't need to know the details. They will just scare her even more. All she needs to know is that there was an accident, but you're okay," Shelby explains. "You do know that you're pretty lucky that it wasn't older Santana who met us by the door tonight. I imagine she has a lecture lined up for you."

"I know."

0-00-0

Shelby glances across at Brittany as the blonde teenager sits in the armchair, noticing that she keeps throwing concerned looks at Quinn. Brittany may be furious with Quinn, but that doesn't mean she's not worried. It's not often that Brittany is mad, and it's even rarer for her to be mad for more than an hour or so. Still, Shelby isn't all that surprised that Brittany has barely spoken to Quinn in the two hours that they have been home from the hospital, apart from to double check that Quinn isn't okay. Shelby, too, is furious. How could Quinn endanger her life like that? She knows better. They all do. A quick glance at Santana, the girl curled up into Quinn's side in her Batman pajamas, tells her that her girl is ready to fall asleep.

"Okay, Santana, it's time for bed," Shelby tells her, not at all surprised by the lack of argument from Santana, her girl is exhausted. She smiles adoringly when Santana leans up and kisses Quinn's cheek, her smile staying in place as she slides off the sofa and moves across to Brittany to kiss her cheek, too.

"Goodnight, baby girl," Brittany smiles. "Be good for mama."

"Go on up, babe. I'll be right there," Shelby tells Santana, watching as she leaves the living room and waiting until she is out of earshot before turning to look at Brittany and Quinn. "No yelling. I mean it, Santana will never go to sleep if she hears something going on," Shelby states firmly, pointing a finger at each of them before following Santana out of the room. Quinn steals a quick glance at Brittany, wondering if she is going to speak to her yet, or if their mom was just guessing. She doesn't blame Brittany for being pissed at her, she's pissed at herself.

"Are you feeling okay?" Brittany's voice is soft and quiet, genuine concern in her baby blue eyes. Brittany's concern only makes Quinn feel more guilty. She had worried them all so badly, so much so that Brittany is asking how she is feeling despite being furious with her.

"Sore and bruised, but otherwise alright," Quinn murmurs.

"It could have been so much worse, Quinn. I can't believe you did something so dangerous," Brittany tells her, shaking her head in disbelief. "You're so much smarter than that. Texting instead of watching the road, you may as well have fallen asleep behind the wheel, or something. I don't think I've ever been so mad at anyone before. Mom said your car is completely wrecked and that you're lucky to be alive!" Brittany exclaims, angrily swiping at the tear that drips down her cheek. "You are my sister, both you and little Quinn are my sisters, and I could have lost both of them today because you were more worried about replying to a text instead of watching the damn road!"

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry, Britt. It was a silly and reckless mistake, and I'm never gonna do anything like that again," Quinn promises, her face a mask of despair.

"It better not. God, I am so mad at you but, at the same time, I'm just so relieved that you're okay and I feel like crap for being so mad at you!"

"Britt, don't feel bad. You have every right to be mad at me, and I'm okay!" Quinn hates herself for causing so much suffering in their family. Their lives were supposed to be better now, they're not supposed to be hurting. "Look at me, I'm fine, you can be as mad as you need to be at me."

"You know mom is probably gonna tan your ass, right?" Brittany asks bluntly. Quinn blushes and nods, she knows that will most likely happen, and she knows that going over Shelby's lap as her grown self will be a lot different than going over as her little self. "I'm glad you're okay, Quinn. I love you, but I'm too mad to talk to you anymore tonight." Brittany stands up and heads towards the kitchen, stopping briefly to kiss Quinn's forehead. Quinn sighs and stiffly gets to her feet, pausing when she notices Shelby in the doorway.

"Time for you to go upstairs, you need to rest. There are painkillers in my bedroom, you may read for a little while but only until the painkillers kick in," Shelby tells her, opening her arms for Quinn to fall into. She had known her girl needed a hug as soon as she looked into her eyes.

"Mom, Can I.."

"Sleep in my bed tonight? Yes, of course. I'd actually prefer it," Shelby murmurs. She wants to keep an eye on Quinn tonight, they've all had a big scare today. A very, very close call. "Go get ready, I'll come check on you in a little while," she adds, kissing Quinn's forehead and sending her towards the stairs with a gentle swat. Shelby heads into the kitchen and finds Brittany making coffee, the teenager automatically grabbing another mug when she notices Shelby. "You okay, babe?"

"Yeah, just..uh..today has been rough," Brittany murmurs, handing Shelby her coffee and slumping down at the table with her own mug. "It felt like my heart stopped when I found out all the details."

"I know what you mean, Britt," Shelby sighs, sitting down opposite her. "When I answered my cell phone..." she trails off and swallows heavily. "I still feel sick about it." Shelby knows this is going to be difficult. Spanking Quinn means that little Quinn is punished, too. Just like when their little selves are punished, and their adult selves feel the effects.

"Santana was so scared and so confused," Brittany mutters. "I could see the, like, conflict all over her face."

"She said that you told her it was okay to be little Santana," Shelby states with a small, proud smile. "You let her know that it was okay to be whatever age she needed, or wanted, to be. I'm so proud of you for the way you took control of the situation," she says honestly. "It must have been difficult for you, but you handled it beautifully." Brittany blushes at the passionate praise, ducking her head shyly. "I'm so proud of you," she repeats.

"Thanks, mom."

"If, in the future, you decide that you really want to do this for a living, I'll help you in any way that I can," Shelby promises.

"I don't know if I do, but if I need to talk about it or ask questions, I'll come to you," Brittany nods.

"Whatever you like, baby. I'm always here for you...for all of you."

_**To be continued... Please let me know what you think.**_


	27. Chapter 27

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 27

Shelby feels her bed dip and immediately knows that one of her girls is joining her in bed. She assumes it's Santana; it usually is. She feels a body snuggle into her side, and instantly realises that it's Quinn. Cracking her eyes open, Shelby winces against the early morning light and turns onto her side to gaze at Quinn, placing her arm across Quinn's waist. She can tell just by looking at her that this is little Quinn.

"Do you need big Quinn?" Quinn asks softly, gazing at her mama with sleepy eyes.

"No, not today, sweetheart." Shelby reaches out and uses her fingers to brush soft, blonde hair away from her girl's face. She had been thinking about it last night after taking Quinn to her own bed as per the girl's request. Quinn had been hurting too much to risk being rolled into during the night, no matter how much she wanted to sleep in the bed with Shelby. Shelby had decided that she would spank big girl Quinn for her transgression, but not today. She wants to wait until Quinn is in a little less pain. Shelby almost laughs. She's waiting until Quinn is in less pain to hand out a punishment that causes pain to her backside. Brittany had told her last night that she had cancelled her plans for today, and Santana had called her work to tell them she had a family emergency and wouldn't make it in. Today they can just spend time together as a family and tonight they can count down to the new year at Holly's party. This will be the first time Shelby has had a New Year's Eve with all three of her girls as their little selves. Santana hadn't felt comfortable being her little self around new people last year. She's excited about it. "How do feel?" Shelby asks gently.

"Sore, mama," Quinn tells her sadly and Shelby frowns. Little Quinn, who hadn't done anything wrong, is suffering because big Quinn did something extremely irresponsible. It sucks.

"We'll get you some medicine and then you can just hang out on the sofa today, does that sound okay, sweetheart?" Shelby murmurs gently.

"Can you make pancakes?" Quinn questions, causing Shelby to chuckle lightly.

"I sure can, babe. Why don't you go downstairs and get comfortable while I go wake your sisters," she suggests, kissing Quinn on the forehead when the girl nods. Shelby helps Quinn off the bed, frowning sympathetically as she watches her stiffly head out of the bedroom. She sighs softly and makes her way to Santana's bedroom, not surprised in the least that Santana is still fast asleep, buried underneath her duvet. Shelby perches on the edge of the bed and carefully pulls back the duvet, smiling at how angelic Santana looks while asleep. "It's time to wake up, baby girl," she states softly, gently rubbing Santana's back.

"Already?" Santana whines, her eyes still squeezed closed.

"Yeah, baby," Shelby laughs. "Come on, we'll get you out of your diaper and then we can go watch cartoons and have breakfast."

"At the same time?" Santana blearily opens one eye and gazes suspiciously at her mama. They're _never_ allowed to eat meals in front of the tv, only at the kitchen table.

"At the same time," Shelby confirms. "Quinn isn't feeling too good so we're all going to have a pajama and movie day until we have to start getting ready for the party. You have to be gentle with Quinn today, okay?"

"Okay, mama. I'll be super careful," Santana nods seriously. "I can help you look after her. Do you think she'll let me, mama?"

"Why wouldn't she let you?" Shelby asks her in confusion.

"Because Quinn told me that big sisters look after their little sisters and not the other way around. She's eight so she's a big girl. Is that true, mama? Can only big sisters look after people?" Santana asks innocently, her brow furrowing cutely.

"Well, big sisters are supposed to look after their little sisters," Shelby nods, "but sometimes they need to be looked after, too. I'm sure Quinn would be okay with you helping mama out today." Santana seems to ponder this for a few moments before she nods, satisfied with her mama's answer. "Now, is your diaper dry?" Shelby smiles when Santana nods, the girl beaming with pride. "I'm very proud of you!" Shelby grins, leaning down to kiss the tip of Santana's nose.

"Would you still be proud of me if it was wet?" Santana questions curiously, gazing up at her mama innocently. Shelby's eyebrows raise in surprise, she really hadn't been expecting that. She doesn't have to think about the answer, though, it's easy.

"Yeah, baby, I would," Shelby states sincerely. "And do you know why? Because you are a very special little girl. You are kind and thoughtful, and you never give up. Even though you really don't like wearing your diaper, you stopped taking it off during the night. When you wet your diaper, it's an accident, and you can't help it. By wearing the diaper, you're trying. You have so much love and determination in you, I'm a very proud mama," Shelby explains passionately.

"Even when I'm naughty?"

"Especially when you're naughty because you accept your punishment and then you always, always try your very best to learn a lesson. Some lessons you can't learn the first time around, but you always try," Shelby smiles. "So, yes, if you wake up in the morning and your diaper is wet, I will still be very proud of you." Santana grins at her and sits up, crawling onto Shelby's lap and hugging her tightly.

"I love you, mama!"

"I love you, too, baby girl."

0-00-0

Her eyes light up when she sees it sitting on the kitchen counter, grinning around her pacifier as she sneakily crawls towards it. She looks around for her mama and elatedly notices she isn't in the room. This is her chance. All she has to do is grab the plate, and it's her. Man, she really loves cake! Even better, it's chocolate cake! Crawling closer, Brittany looks up at the cake as it sits on the counter looking super yummy. Maybe mama won't notice it's gone. Even if she does, Brittany just smile cutely and hug her; that always makes mama smile. She can't be mad if she's smiling, right? Brittany uses the counter to pull herself to her foot and gazes down at the cake, an almost manic grin on her face. She reaches out, desperate to taste it when,

"Brittany Susan Corcoran!" Busted. "What on earth are you doing? You know you're not supposed to ask first," Shelby scolds, standing in front of Brittany with her hands on her hips.

"Cake please, mama?" Brittany asks hopefully, an angelic smile spreading across her lips.

"No, you may not have cake," Shelby replies firmly. Brittany gasps in outrage, mama just said she needed to ask. So she did, and mama said no! This sucks. "Mama told you stay in the living room, you know I don't like you being in the kitchen by yourself. You may have cake after dinner with the rest of us. Now, come on," Shelby states sternly, holding out her hand for Brittany to take. The pouting girl steps forward, allowing her mama to lead her into the living room and straight to the corner.

"No, mama!" Brittany wails, her face crumpling as soon as she realizes she's going to be made to stand there. It's extremely rare for Brittany to be punished at all, but she's seen her sisters standing there, and they hate it. She really, really doesn't want to stand there.

"Yes, Brittany. You disobeyed mama by going into the kitchen, and then you tried to steal cake when you know you're supposed to ask first. Two minutes in the corner, and then it's all over and you have clean slate," Shelby explains, punctuating her sentence with a firm smack to Brittany's bottom. Brittany, despite the fact that she barely felt it because of her pull-up, bursts into tears. "Go on now, two minutes," Shelby states, gently guiding Brittany into the corner and taking a step back. She notices Santana scowling at her from the sofa and she raises a brow in silent warning. Walking over to Santana, Shelby leans over the back of the sofa to whisper in her ear, "Brittany is being punished. Do not go over there. I know it's upsetting to hear one of your sisters crying, but she is being punished. You can comfort her as soon as I tell you it's okay," she explains quietly, glancing at Quinn to let her know she is speaking to both of them, even if it's only really Santana that needs to hear it. "Do you both understand me?"

"Yes, mama," Quinn replies dutifully. Shelby focuses her attention on Santana and raises her eyebrows in silent question.

"Yes, mama," Santana finally mumbles, but she's not at all happy about it. Shelby nods, satisfied..kind of.

"How are you feeling?" Shelby directs her gaze at Quinn, the girl clearly feeling very sorry for herself. It seems unfair that little Quinn has to suffer with the aches and pains, she, after all, did not do anything.

"Big Quinn got in an accident," Santana tells her sister with a serious nod, as though Quinn doesn't already know.

"I know," Quinn murmurs. "I still feel sore, mama, I have a lot of bruises."

"My poor girl," Shelby sympathizes, reaching out to cup Quinn's face in her hand. "Are you sure you want to go tonight? We don't have to go to the party if you aren't feeling up to it." Shelby is pleasantly surprised to see Santana nodding vigorously , she had expected Santana to disagree with her.

"No, I really want to go, mama," Quinn tells her. "Even if it's just for a little while."

"Okay, well, you make sure you tell me if you change your mind. Even if we're already at the party," Shelby states seriously. "It's not a big deal, we can still have fun hanging out here." Quinn nods with a smile and Shelby studies her, making sure her girl isn't just saying she wants to go for their sakes. "Okay, Brittany, come here, baby girl," Shelby says, holding out her arms for Brittany to walk into, Brittany instantly burrowing her face in her mama's neck. "Mama's sorry that she had to punish you, but I can't let you away with breaking the rules, can I?"

"No," Brittany blubbers. "I sorry, mama."

"I know, baby, it's okay," Shelby murmurs, gently rubbing Brittany's back. "It's all over, honey. I think Santana would love it if you watched some cartoons with her for a little while, would you like to do that?" Shelby feels Brittany nod against her and she pulls out of the hug, kissing Brittany's forehead and gently nudging her towards her sisters. She heads into the kitchen to grab some coffee, almost having a heart attack when she finds her sister sitting at the table. "Jesus christ, Cass! When did you get home? I didn't hear you come in."

"I came in the back door. I've only been home a few minutes, I didn't want to interrupt the little talk you were having with the girls," Cassandra responds, smirking at how much of a scare her older sister got. "How's Quinn?"

"She's okay," Shelby replies as she pours herself a coffee. "A few bumps and bruises, little Quinn is really paying for it," she murmurs, joining Cassandra at the table. "So, how was your evening with mom last night?"

"Mom was her usual _charming_ self. I only went for dad's sake, one of his old work buddies died a couple of days ago. I don't think mom was all that pleased to see me," Cassandra sighs.

"Of course she wasn't pleased to see the person who _supports my weird lifestyle_. I'm surprised she even let you into the house," Shelby remarks.

"She's not worth, Shelby. Who wants someone like that in their lives anyway? Mom was raised to think that only certain things can be viewed as normal," Cassandra states. "I think dad wants to see you, and meet the girls, but he doesn't want to upset mom. I talked to him about it, I'll go and see him but not at the house anymore. I don't want someone like in any of our lives."

"You know, I'm really gonna miss you when you go back to New York," Shelby says with a small smile.

"You can come and visit. I'm sure adult Santana would be more than happy to help me terrorise my students," Cassandra grins. Shelby rolls her eyes and laughs lightly, she has to agree; Santana wouldn't mind helping at all.

0-00-0

Shelby smiles as she watches Santana and Quinn giggling and splashing each other in the tub, amazed that Santana had convinced Quinn to go in with her. She wants to tell them to be a little quieter because Brittany is napping, but she can't bring herself to put a stop to their antics. They look so happy. Besides, Brittany's room is at the other end of the hall and she's a pretty heavy sleeper. Shelby is thrilled about going to the party tonight. It's a safe place to go to for them. Holly's house is outside of Lima and the guests are either age-players or people who have no issues with it, her girls will be able to be enjoy themselves without having to worry about people judging them. Just like in Florida. She's brought out of her thoughts by another giggle from Santana, and she looks over to them to find that they are staring at her.

"What?" Shelby asks with a smile, amused by the almost manic grin on Santana's face.

"Quinn says you're smiling because you get to see Dave tonight," Santana states gleefully. "Are you gonna kiss him, mama?" she asks with an adorable grin.

"That is none of your business, young lady," Shelby replies, shaking her head in amusement, "and, for your information, I'm smiling because of you two goofballs," she states matter of factly.

"Mama!" Santana gasps, "we're not goofballs. Tell her, Quinn! Tell her we're not goofballs."

"I'm sorry, baby girl, but sometimes you are," Shelby interrupts, grabbing a towel and stepping forwards. "Don't worry, I love you even more because of it," she adds, holding out a towel for Quinn and wrapping it around her when the girl climbs out of the tub. She sends Quinn to go get dressed in the clothes she laid out for her before grabbing the other towel.

_"You're_ a goofball," Santana tells her mama as Shelby reaches into the tub to pull the plug out."

"Oh is that right?" Shelby asks faux sternly. "I think it is very brave of you to call your mama a goofball when your little bottom is bare," she teases. Santana gasps and scrunches her nose cutely, gazing up at her mama with wide eyes.

"That's not fair, mama. You called us one first!" Santana exclaims, causing Shelby to laugh.

"You're right," Shelby admits with a smile, "but you are a goofball. An adorable goofball," Shelby winks, motioning for Santana to stand up in the tub. She laughs when she realizes that Santana is wary about standing up. "Don't worry, your bottom is safe," she smirks. Santana narrows her eyes and watches her mama carefully for a moment, trying to work out if she is telling the truth. Eventually she stands up, spreading her arms out so that Shelby can wrap the towel around her and help her out of the tub.

"I love you, mama," Santana grins, leaving a sloppy kiss on Shelby's cheek.

"I love you, too, baby girl. Now, you go start getting dressed. I left your underwear on your bed. The rest of your clothes are still in the dryer, come down once you have your underwear on, okay?"

"Okay, mama." Shelby smiles and kisses her forehead before shooing Santana to her bedroom. She walks to Brittany's room to find the girl playing with her soft toys in bed. Shelby is glad that Brittany woke up on her own, whenever she has to wake her up she always seems to function in slow motion for the rest of the day.

"Hey, angel face, did you sleep well?" Shelby questions as Brittany hops out of bed and darts into her open arms.

"Uh huh! Food please, mama?" Brittany angelically asks.

"Sure, baby," Shelby chuckles. All of her girls could put growing teenage boys to shame when it comes to eating. "There's gonna be food at the party, so it will just be a little snack right now, okay?" Shelby smiles when Brittany nods, taking her youngest girl's hand into hers and leading her downstairs. She takes Brittany into the kitchen and straps her into her high chair, dropping a kiss into blonde hair.

"So I just talked to Holly," Cassandra states, announcing her presence as she walks into the kitchen. "How come you didn't mention the a certain gentleman admirer was going to be there?" she asks teasingly. Shelby rolls her eyes, fixing some crackers and cheese for Brittany.

"I didn't realize I was supposed to read the guest list to you," she remarks dryly. "Did you know that one of Holly's neighbours is going to be there, too?"

"Oh, you dated one of Holly's neighbours?" Cassandra sarcastically questions.

"It's not a big deal that he's going to be there," Shelby sighs, placing Brittany's food in front of her and turning to face her younger sister. "Stop forcing it. If something is going to happen between us, then it will happen naturally, not because you all want it to."

"Are you at least going to talk to him?" Shelby sighs and shoots Cassandra a glare that tells her she doesn't want to talk about it. All she wants for tonight is to have a nice time celebrating New Years Eve with her family. That's the most important thing.

"Mama like David?" Shelby groans when she hears Brittany's innocent voice. She's going to kill Cassandra. "Kiss?" Cassandra barely conceals her smirk, and forces herself not to high five Brittany. Man, that kid is awesome.

_**Okay, so I'm really busy right now, hence why you get this update instead of one last Thursday and tomorrow. Next week, as long as the feedback continues, I'll continue updating twice a week.**_

_**To be continued...Please review!**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 28

Shelby accepts a glass of wine from Holly with a grateful smile, her arm wrapping around Santana who seems to be glued to her side tonight. It worries her to see Santana acting so shy, it's not like her at all. Although, Shelby does realize that it's the first time that Santana has been in such a small space with other age-players. The only other kid little Santana has interacted with, apart from her sisters, is Sugar. On the drive over here, Shelby had been convinced that she'd need to separate Santana and Sugar at some point in the evening, but little Sugar isn't here tonight. Only big girl Sugar is. Holly had quietly told her that Sugar had felt more comfortable as her adult self in the crowd of people. She understands that. After all, Sugar is newer to all of this than her girls.

"Dave!" Shelby winces at Santana's loud yell, the girl ripping herself out of the one armed hug and running straight to Dave as he walks into the kitchen.

"Hey there, little one," he grins, accepting the tight, excited hug that Santana offers him, a kind smile on his features. "You doing good?"

"Uh huh! Aunt Cassandra said you live real close to us now, does that mean you'll hang out with me?" Santana asks him, a hopeful expression on her face.

"Yeah! We can definitely hang out, just as long as it's okay with your mama," Dave smiles.

"Mama?" Santana turns to gaze at her mama hopefully, silently begging Shelby with her wide, brown eyes.

"It's most definitely okay with me," Shelby states honestly, smiling at the excited squeal from Santana. Even if she hadn't just been put on the spot about it, she would have said yes. She loves that her girls are trusting other adults. It also means that if she and Dave do decide to start dating again, and if they do, in the very far away future, decide to become more serious then her girls will be okay with it. She watches as Santana slumps down onto Dave's knee as soon he sit down, the man looking more than happy to entertain her. "I'm just gonna check on Quinn and Brittany," Shelby tells Dave.

"Go ahead, we're cool here," Dave replies with a gentle smile. Their eyes meet for a moment, Dave silently questioning her. Shelby nods. They'll talk later. She makes her way through Holly's crowded house, finding Quinn in one of the bedrooms with Sugar. Shelby's surprised to see Quinn sitting in front of Sugar, the teenager braiding her hair for her while the girl watches a cartoon on tv. She moves out of the way as a couple of kids run into the bedroom, dropping down in front of the tv set and ignoring everyone else.

"Is everything okay in here?" Shelby asks Quinn kindly. "Are you having a good time?"

"Yeah, mama! Sugar's braiding my hair!" Quinn grins. "Brittany's under the bed with Aunt Holly's cat," she informs her mama with a roll of her hazel eyes. "She won't come out because she said it's lonely." Shelby chuckles lightly and drops to her knees, lifting the bottom of the duvet up as she peeks under the bed. She grins at the sight of Brittany laying flat on her stomach and facing the cat, making serious eye contact with the animal.

"Hey, baby girl." The cat jerks in surprise and sprints out from the bed, Brittany immediately pouting at the loss of her new friend. "Sorry, honey," Shelby pouts sympathetically. "You wanna come out and hang out with me instead?" she offers.

"Okay, mama," Brittany grins sweetly and shimmies backwards to get out from under the bed, appearing at her mama's side a moment later. "Cake please, mama?" she asks cutely, batting her long eyelashes.

"Yes, you may some cake now," Shelby chuckles, holding her hand out for Brittany to take and turning to Quinn. "You come and get me if you're feeling too sore, okay?" She smiles when Quinn nods and a glance at Sugar confirms that the teenager will let her know if there's any issues. As much as her girls don't like little Sugar, it seems like big girl Sugar is making a good impression on little Quinn. Shelby leads Brittany to the kitchen, the girl ripping her hand out of her grasp as soon as she spots her sister and Dave. She glances at the clock, seeing that it's only a little after seven and hoping the girls will be able to stay awake long enough to see count down to the New Year. It seems unlikely as Santana is already rubbing her ear. A sure sign that she's tired.

0-00-0

"Ruuuuun!" Shelby watches in shock as Santana leads a group of other age-players through the living room, charging out to the hall while the others yell excitedly. What the hell just happened? It was, like, ten minutes ago that Santana was still refusing to even look at the other kids. Shelby smiles tenderly as Brittany takes off after them, an almost manic grin on her face while her blue eyes shine with excitement. She rolls her eyes when she notices Cassandra chasing after them, of course her sister would be responsible for this. She hears her yelling after them, vaguely making out the words 'tickle monster' coming from the hall.

"It's pretty amazing what a little sugar can do, huh?" Shelby turns to see Holly smirking at her, knowing by her glazed over eyes that her friend is a little buzzed.

"What exactly did you give them?" Shelby asks. "Because, If I didn't know any better, I would think that you had drugged Santana." Holly laughs and nods.

"Yeah, you'd think so. I'm pretty surprised that she's running around with the rest of them. I was convinced that she'd be glued to you or Dave's side for the rest of the night," Holly says. "How are things with you and Dave anyway?"

"I don't know," Shelby shrugs. "Neither of us are dating other people, but we're not all that serious either. He's great with the girls, he's really won them over. Especially Santana."

"That's good, right? I mean, it would be difficult if the girls hated him," Holly notes.

"It wouldn't just be difficult...it wouldn't work at all," Shelby sighs. "I wouldn't enter into a serious relationship with any guy unless the girls were okay with him. They have to come first. It's a major bonus that he's already involved in the lifestyle...explaining it to an outsider would be difficult," she mumbles, stepping backwards to let a couple of kids run in between her and Holly.

"Would you ever introduce an outsider to your girls if you were dating him?" Holly asks curiously.

"Maybe, but probably not to their little selves. They don't need someone coming into their home, their safe space, and possibly judging them for it. People tend to judge things that they don't understand..." Shelby trails off when she notices Quinn slumping down onto one of the sofas and curling up on her side. Holly follows Shelby's gaze, her lips forming a sympathetic pout.

"She's still hurting?"

"Yeah, it's horrible. Little Quinn is paying for adult Quinn's mistake." Shelby watches her oldest girl sadly, wishing she could make her feel better, but knowing she just needed to let the cuts and bruises heal.

"Yeah, that's one of the downfalls of our lifestyle. I was surprised you guys came tonight," Holly tells her, smiling as Sugar approaches them and wrapping an arm around the teenager.

"I have Quinn the option of staying home, even Santana agreed with me, but Quinn wanted to come," Shelby explains. She turns to Sugar, "is she doing okay?"

"She seems really tired, and she's been moving really stiffly," Sugar responds. "I think she wants to go home, but she doesn't want to tell you."

"Yeah, that's something Quinn would do," Shelby nods. "I think I'm just gonna take them home," she adds to Holly.

"Of course. I'll go round up Santana and Brittany," Holly states, squeezing Sugar's waist affectionately and heading out of the living room. Sugar follows after her to give Shelby and Quinn some privacy. Well, as much privacy as she can give her in a room full of party goers. Shelby walks over to Quinn and sits next to her, pushing the girl's blonde hair away from her face.

"Hey, baby girl," Shelby murmurs. "We're gonna go home, okay?" She doesn't miss the look of sheer relief that crosses Quinn's features. "Aunt Holly is just finding your sisters for me and then we can leave, and the four of us can snuggle up on mama's bed and watch a movie. Does that sound good?"

"Uh huh. Can I pick the movie?"

"Of course you can," Shelby grins, leaning down and pressing a tender kiss into Quinn's hair. Quinn stiffly sits up and shimmies closer to Shelby, snuggling into her mama's side and accepting the comforting hug she offers her. Mama's hugs always make her feel a little better. "I'm sorry, mama."

"Don't be sorry, sweetheart. It's not your fault you're feeling so good, and the main thing is that we're still all spending time together," Shelby murmurs. "That's all I want, to be with all of my girls tonight. It doesn't matter to me if we're here or at home," she reassures Quinn.

"You promise?" Quinn questions nervously, her hazel eyes wide as she stares up at her mama.

"I promise, baby girl. That's all I want." Shelby looks up and meets Dave's eyes across the room, a small smile playing on the man's lips as he watches Shelby and Quinn interact. Maybe he could be the guy for her...maybe.

0-00-0

Shelby stifles a giggle as she watches Brittany attempt to put her pajama shirt on by herself. She's noticed her youngest starting to act a little more independently over the last couple of days...trying to be more like her big sisters and, for the most part, failing. Not that Santana did any better, she had put her shirt on back to front only ten minutes ago. Shelby steps forward to help Brittany, smiling when Brittany beams angelically up at her.

"Yay, mama!" Brittany cheers, looking down at her pink pajamas and cutely wiggling her diapered butt. "Pink!"

"Yeah, angel, your pajamas are pink," Shelby grins. "Aaaand, so is your pacifier!" she says, pulling Brittany's favourite pacifier out of her pocket. She laughs when Brittany all but throws herself into her arms, hugging her tightly, clearly overjoyed that her mama had found it. Brittany loves pink! "You go on through to mama's bedroom, I'll be there in a minute," Shelby states. "Be very careful with Quinn, she's still very sore."

"Careful, mama," Brittany confirms with a serious nod, kissing Shelby's cheek before skipping out of her room. Shelby chuckles lightly and picks up a few stray toys, placing them in Brittany's toy box, before heading to Santana's room. What the hell? How did Santana make this much mess in such a short space of time? She looks around at all of the toys that are laying around the room.

"Santana?" she calls out, rolling her eyes when Santana pops out of the closet, her cape tied around her back and her beloved stuff toy, Bugs, tucked underneath her arm. "What were you doing in there?"

"I was trying to find Shark Tale, mama," Santana states with a sigh, as though her mama should already know this. "It's movie night, remember? And it's my turn to pick a movie!" Shelby sighs softly, she had forgotten it was Santana's turn to choose when she told Quinn she could pick the movie.

"Sweetheart, I know it's your turn, but do you think, that just this once, we could let Quinn choose?" Shelby questions gently, not at all surprised by the colossal pout she receives in response. "You can pick the next one, I promise. Remember what I said about Quinn being sore and how we need to look after her? I think it would be nice if we let her choose, don't you?" Shelby gazes at Santana with a kind smile, the girl sighing and slumping down on the edge of her bed.

"Yeah, I guess," Santana mutters. "I can really, really pick the next one, though?"

"Yes, you can really, really pick the next one," Shelby confirms.

"Then okay, Quinn can choose."

"Thank you, baby girl. That is very nice of you," Shelby praises, leaning over to kiss Santana's forehead. Now, I'm not going to make you clean up this mess tonight, but you and I are definitely going to tidy up in here tomorrow morning. Okay?"

"Okay, mama," Santana murmurs.

"And lets get your cape off, it's time to get into bed and relax." Shelby is pleased when Santana immediately stands up and removes her cape. "Good girl. Thank you. Now let's go to my bed and watch the movie, mama's all tired out."

"That's 'cause you're old, mama!" Santana exclaims, a cheeky grin on your face.

"Oh really?" Shelby laughs. "Well I'm not too old to spank that little behind of yours," she adds teasingly, punctuating her sentence with a playful swat to Santana's diapered bottom. She leads Santana into her bedroom, where Quinn and Brittany are already snuggled under the duvet, and helps her onto the bed. Shelby lays in between Quinn and Brittany while Santana settles at the bottom of the bed, her head resting on Shelby's legs. It seems like they made it into the bedroom just in time as the opening credits to Cinderella finish just as she and Santana get settled. Shelby sighs contentedly. This is perfect. Just she and her three girls in bed together and watching a movie. In Shelby's opinion, this is the perfect way to celebrate New Years Eve. There is no better way for her to welcome 2013.

"Mama?"

"Uh huh?"

"Where's aunt Cass?" Santana asks, tilting her head to gaze up at her mama with tired eyes.

"She stayed at the party, babe."

"Oh. Mama?" Shelby sighs softly,

"Yes, Santana?"

"When _are_ you gonna be too old to spank my butt?"

_**To be continued...Please review.**_


	29. Chapter 29

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter, this story will continue for as long as you guys want it to.**_

_**Thank you to my new beta for kicking my ass and making me laugh at the same time.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 29

Brittany yawns loudly as she closes her locker, mentally thanking god that school is done for the day. The vacation had gone by too fast, especially considering the study sessions she had attended in school over the holidays. She has tons of homework, but all she wants to do is snuggle up on the couch with Santana and watch a sappy movie. She's too tired to do anything else. It's times like these that she regrets messing up her senior year the first time around. Now, she has a lot to prove...especially to herself. She catches Sugar's gaze as she walks passed the detention room, shooting her new friend a smile and a playful roll of her eyes. Holly won't be happy. Brittany makes her way out of school and is pleased to see Santana waiting for her in her car. She loves that Santana will pick her up from school whenever her college and work schedules allow it.

"Hey, babe," Santana greets Brittany as she slides into the passenger seat, immediately leaning across the center console to kiss her sweetly on the lips. "How was your first day back?"

"Ugh..long, hard and boring. How was college?"

"Pretty much the same," Santana notes as she starts the car. "We should probably go straight home," she murmurs. "Mom was uh..dealing with Quinn this afternoon." Brittany nods soberly, at least now Quinn may think twice about attempting to multitask while driving.

"Do you think Quinn's okay?" Brittany asks quietly. "I mean, adult Quinn hasn't ever been spanked before. Is it weird?" Santana glances at Brittany briefly before turning her gaze back to the road. She knows Brittany is asking what it was like for her.

"Weird, not really. Well...maybe at first," Santana shrugs. "A good weird, I guess. I mean, it's Shelby...she's, for all intents and purposes, our mom. I screwed up, she dealt with it and then it was over. She comforted me, told me she loved me and held me, even after I had stopped crying," Santana explains. "You don't need to worry about her, Britt. It'll suck, but Shelby will be there for her and then it'll be over. In fact, it's probably been over for a while. It's finished," Santana reassures her girlfriend. Brittany nods, chewing on her bottom lip and gazing at Santana again.

"What about you? Are you still mad at Quinn? You guys haven't actually talked about it, have you?"

"We haven't," Santana confirms. "But it's okay. I'm mad and disappointed, but there's nothing I can say to Quinn that you and Shelby haven't already said. I'll maybe say something to her later, but I'm not going to yell at her, or lecture her. It wouldn't be fair of me to do that after Shelby has punished her."

"I was scared that you wouldn't think about it like that," Brittany admits. "I thought you'd, like, blow up at her or something."

"I definitely thought about it," Santana states lowly.

"But little Santana didn't, she just wanted to be close to her sister," Brittany murmurs. Sometimes they need to be their little selves to let some parts of their personality out.

"The world is a lot less scary when you're a kid. Well, it can still be scary, but those fears are nothing compared to when you're an adult," Santana shoots her a wry smile. "It's nice to not be so scared for a while, and Quinn crashing her car is definitely something that scared the crap out of me."

"Me too," Brittany whispers. Santana nods and reaches across the center console to take Brittany's hand into hers, lifting it to her lips and kissing the soft skin. She lowers their hands, but keeps their fingers interlocked. "You won't ever do that, will you?" Brittany asks softly. She very much doubts that Santana would, but she needs to be sure. She needs to hear her say it.

"No. I would never do that," Santana swears. "I would never put you through that. I'd also never risk the skin on my ass like that," she adds playfully, successfully lightening the mood inside the car. Santana drops Brittany's hand so that she can turn into their street, both of them falling into silence as she rolls the car into the garage. Shelby steps into the garage as they are getting out of the car, a strained smile on her lips as she leans into the hug Brittany gives her.

"How was your first day back?"

"Could have been better, could have been worse," Brittany shrugs. "Is Quinn home?"

"Yeah, she's asleep so try and be quiet if you go up there," Shelby states. Brittany nods, murmuring about making a start on her homework in the kitchen before excusing herself. Santana studies Shelby for a moment before stepping forward and engulfing her in a huge, comforting hug.

"Don't feel guilty," Santana murmurs. "Quinn isn't going to be mad at you, she'll feel even more loved. Trust me."

"What would I do without you?" Shelby asks with a weak smile.

"I often ask myself that about you," Santana grins. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, babe, I'm fine. Go on up to see Quinn, I know you're dying too," Shelby murmurs, kissing Santana's temple before pulling out of the hug. Santana nods, playfully poking Shelby in the ribs as she brushes passed her, and makes her way through the house. She heads upstairs, knowing without being told that Quinn is in Shelby's bedroom, and stops outside the door, leaning against the door frame. Santana watches her sister, and friend, sleep for a moment, feeling a mixture of sympathy and self righteousness. Quinn needed it, she knows that, but she still knows that it sucks to be spanked. Quietly and carefully, Santana crosses the bedroom and climbs onto the bed and lays down in front of Quinn. She loosely slings her arm around Quinn's waist, being careful not to touch her backside, and shimmies closer to her so that they are almost nose to nose. Quinn stirs slightly and her eyelids flutter, a small moan escaping her lips.

"It's okay, it's just me," Santana murmurs soothingly. Quinn groans and buries her face in her sister's neck, her arm slipping around Santana.

"I'm sorry," Quinn mumbles, her voice thick with sleep and her words a little slurred.

"I know," Santana whispers, placing a soft kiss on Quinn's forehead. "Don't you ever do that to me again, okay?"

"I won't."

0-00-0

"Maaaaama!" Shelby sighs softly when she hears Quinn's voice floating along the hall from the bathroom. She had only left her for a few minutes so that she could make sure Santana was tidying her toys away like she had asked her to. Not only is Santana refusing to do anything that Shelby asks her to, but Quinn won't give her a moments peace to deal with her. "Mama!" Shelby glances across at Santana as the girl stands with her nose in the corner, Brittany sitting on the floor and watching her big sister curiously. She's totally behind schedule tonight, the fact that all of her girls seem to be in the mood to break every rule possible isn't helping her.

"Brittany, come with mama please," Shelby states, holding her hand out for her youngest to take.

"No! Stay with Santana!" Brittany pouts around her pacifier and stubbornly crosses her arms across her chest.

"Brittany, come with mama," Shelby repeats, her voice more firm this time. "We have to go and see Quinn."

"No!" Shelby takes a deep breath and closes her eyes for a moment, willing herself to stay calm. "Stay!"

"If you don't do as mama says then you will be going to bed straight after bath time," Shelby warns. Brittany's pout grows and she stares up at her mama with wide, watery eyes. "Come on, be a good girl for mama. Santana's in trouble so you can't stay here."

"Otay," Brittany mumbles, her shoulders slumping as she stands up and takes her mama's hand.

"Thank you," Shelby smiles. "Santana, stay in the corner until I say it's okay to come out. You will be in very big trouble if I come back and you're not in the corner."

"Okay, mama," Santana grumbles. She hates standing in the corner, it's even worse than having to follow mama around with the stool! Why did she have to throw a tantrum?! Shelby leads Brittany to the bathroom and finds a very sad looking Quinn in the tub.

"My bottom hurts, mama," Quinn informs her sadly.

"I know, baby," Shelby murmurs sympathetically, "it'll feel better soon."

"But it's not fair, mama. I wasn't naughty, only big girl Quinn was." Shelby sighs, Quinn has a point...and it sucks. She hates that little Quinn has to, yet again, suffer with the repercussions of big girl Quinn's actions. Shelby carefully extracts her hand from Brittany's and kneels down in front of the tub,

"I know, sweetheart, and I'm very sorry that your bottom is sore. I promise that it'll feel better soon, and mama can get some of that nice aloe cream for you," Shelby tells her.

"Okay," Quinn murmurs, still looking as though she is feeling extremely sorry for herself. She probably is. Shelby frowns, between Santana and Brittany being difficult and Quinn being in pain, this night is going to be very long.

_**A short chapter, I know. I just needed to kinda set up for the next storyline, and work is very busy right now so my writing time has been very limited.**_

_**Please review.**_


	30. Chapter 30

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**At this point, feedback is the only thing motivating for this story so I appreciate everyone who reviewed the last chapter.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 30

When Shelby guessed that it would be a long night, she was sure as hell correct. She's pretty convinced that a strand of her hair is turning grey as each minute passes, and the girls had gotten on her last nerve around an hour ago. Shelby can handle the three girls while they're feeling mischievous, but the three of them seemed to have bypassed mischievous and gone straight to devil children. She stands in the hall and looks around at the chaos that surrounds her. Santana is sitting on the bathroom floor, fully dressed, and refusing to stand up. Apparently bath time isn't an activity that she wants to participate in tonight. Brittany is in the tub, sobbing over the single swat to her backside she had earned almost ten minutes ago, and Quinn is refusing to listen to a word that Shelby says to her. She's much more happy adding fuel to the fire by making fun of Santana.

"Girls!" Shelby steps back into the bathroom, her hands on her hips, and gazes at each of them in turn. "Stop this behaviour right now. You are all going to bed straight after your bath and you _are_ having a bath, Santana!" Shelby stalks towards the tub and grabs the towel she had set aside for Brittany, "come on, Brittany. We're going to put your pajamas on and then it's bedtime."

"Noooo," Brittany whines, her bottom lip jutting out in a massive pout. "Play!"

"No. No playing, Brittany," Shelby states firmly, holding out the towel. Brittany complies and stands up, allowing her mama to wrap the towel around her and help her out of the tub, albeit very unhappily. "Santana, I will be back in five minutes. I want you to get undressed and be ready to go in the tub by the time I get back. That goes for you too, Quinn. You can both go in together."

"I don't wanna go in the bath!" Santana announces stubbornly.

"I don't want to go in with Santana!" Quinn chimes in loudly, and Shelby sighs heavily.

"I'm not going to argue with either of you. You are both going in the tub just as soon as I put Brittany to bed," Shelby tells them seriously. "If I come back and you're not undressed, I will undress you myself and put you in the tub. Then I will spank both of your behinds before bed." Shelby scrubs her face with her hand, growing more and more frustrated.

"I'm not going in the tub," Santana grumbles, determination in her voice and on her face. "I don't want to." Shelby snaps.

"Santana! Do as I say right _now_!" she yells loudly. There's a split second of silence, before Santana's face crumples and she runs out of the bathroom sobbing. Shit. Shelby feels her anger deflate and she glances at Quinn and Brittany, hating how scared they look right now. "Quinn, please take Brittany into her bedroom. I'll be there in a few minutes," she states softly. Shelby is relieved when Quinn does as she is told, and she watches as she leads Brittany out of the bathroom. Sighing softly, Shelby reaches into the tub and pulls the plug out before perching on the edge of the tub. She runs her hand through her hair and lets out a little groan. She had scared the girls, actually scared them. They've seen her mad plenty of times, but Shelby had never yelled at any of them like that before. She feels awful about it. Shelby stands up and makes her way through to Santana's bedroom, her heart breaking when she finds the girl face down on her bed and sobbing into her pillows. "Oh, baby girl," Shelby sighs softly. She sits down on the edge of the bed, "I'm so sorry I yelled like that, mama really didn't mean to scare you, sweetheart." Santana doesn't respond, and she shrinks away from Shelby's hand when the woman attempts to rub her back. "Mama just got really mad, I'm sorry."

"I mad at you," Santana chokes out, shimmying closer to the wall and further away from her mama. Shelby watches her sadly for a moment,

"Well, that's okay," Shelby states. "It's okay to be mad at me, I'm mad at you, too." Santana turns her head and gazes up at Shelby with red rimmed eyes.

"Why?"

"Because you were being very naughty," Shelby replies. "Very naughty. Now, I should not have yelled at you like that, and I'm very sorry, but that doesn't excuse your behaviour. I'd like you to start getting undressed because you will still be going into the tub as soon as Brittany is in bed." Shelby feels incredibly guilty when Santana begins to sob louder, but she knows she must stand firm. Santana's behaviour was not okay, and she won't let Santana think it was. "I will be back soon. Get undressed please," Shelby states firmly as she stands up and heads to Brittany's room. She finds them quietly waiting for her and, while Shelby regrets yelling like she did, she's somewhat glad that they're all doing as they're told now. Her head is pounding and all she wants to do is get them all into bed quickly, then relax with a glass of wine. She can deal with their bad behaviour in the morning after she's had a decent nights sleep and a chance to cool down.

0-00-0

Shelby drains her coffee mug and glances at the clock on the wall, it's almost ten in the morning and it's Sunday, yet she's the only one awake. She knows the girls must be awake by now, and she hates that they haven't gotten out of bed yet because she knows that they're avoiding her. Brittany had woken her at around six o'clock because she needed to use the bathroom and, after Shelby had praised her for letting her know that she needed to go, Brittany had grinned cutely up at her and kissed her. Even though she's the youngest, Brittany always gets over things more easily. She knows that her mama will get mad sometimes, and she knows that it doesn't change anything. Brittany's sisters always take it more personally. Shelby wishes they would stop holding this against her, she already feels bad enough about it. At the same time, though, their behaviour had been awful last night, and even if they are mad at her...she's pretty upset with them as well. Shelby places her mug in the sink and walks through the house to the stairs, making her way up to her girls. She reaches Quinn's room first and isn't at all surprised to find her oldest girl reading in bed.

"Morning, honey. Are you hiding?" Shelby asks softly as she sits down on the bed. Quinn chews on her bottom lip and nods apologetically. "You don't have to hide from me. I know I gave you all a little scare last night, but I didn't mean to do that. You don't need to hide," Shelby tells her gently.

"That's not why I'm hiding, mama," Quinn responds timidly. "You didn't scare me. Just 'cause you yelled doesn't mean you're scary, mama."

"Yeah? Well why are you hiding then, babe?" Shelby reaches over and brushes Quinn's hair out of her face with her fingers.

"I feel bad. We were all being really naughty last night and we upset you," Quinn murmurs.

"Sweetheart, I'm your mama. No matter what happens, you don't need to hide from me," Shelby murmurs softly. "No matter how many times you're sent to bed early, or made to stand in the corner, or spanked...you don't need to hide. Part of my job as your mama is to punish you for breaking the rules, and sometimes with you three it's a big job," she states teasingly, "but as your mama, I'm always gonna be there for you. Even if you've just been in a ton of trouble, you don't have to hide from me, okay?" Quinn's whole body seems to sag in relief, and she moves forward to hug her mama. Shelby holds onto her tightly and presses a kiss into her hair.

"I'm sorry, mama," Quinn whispers.

"I know, and it's okay. You and your sisters are in trouble, and you will be punished in some way for it, but that doesn't stop me from loving you so, so much."

"I love you too, mama." Shelby smiles and squeezes her tightly for another moment before pulling back.

"Why don't you take your book downstairs and I'll be there soon to make you some breakfast," Shelby suggests. "Don't put the tv on, though. You won't be watching any tv today." Quinn nods, pouting a little as she slides off of her bed. Shelby follows her out, watching her girl head downstairs with a sad sigh. All she wanted to do was spend her Sunday hanging out with her girls and watching movies with them, but now she has to punish them, plus make apologies of her own. Shelby peeks into Brittany's bedroom and notices that Brittany is still asleep. She decides to let her sleep for a little longer, there's no point waking her up just to make her sit in the corner. The corner will still be there when she wakes up. Shelby frowns when she hears water running in the bathroom. Walking into the bathroom, she is confused when she finds Santana naked from the waist down and searching for the bath plug. Reaching into the cupboard under the sink, Shelby pulls the plug out and places it on the edge of the bath. She had kept it hidden ever since Quinn had almost flooded the place while trying to give her dolls a bath. "Did you have an accident, honey?" Shelby asks carefully. Santana drops her head, tears leaking from her eyes as she silently nods. "Well that's okay, baby girl. You should have just came and told me.

"I'm sorry," Santana whispers sadly, and Shelby is convinced that her heart just broke in half.

"You don't have to be sorry for having an accident, Santana. That's why you wear your diaper at night," Shelby responds kindly. "Why didn't you come and find me?"

"I thought you didn't like me anymore." Shelby blinks back sudden tears. During everything, she hadn't stopped to think about Santana's insecurities. Santana had been so worried that she had wet her diaper during the night, and she didn't think she could come to Shelby about it.

"Baby...come here." Shelby opens her arms and gently pulls Santana to her, holding her close and rubbing her back. "Of course I like you, sweetheart. I love you with all my heart. I know mama was really mad last night, but no matter how mad I get you will always be my little girl," Shelby whispers to her, struggling to swallow the huge lump in her throat.

"You promise?" Santana hiccups, burying her face in Shelby's shoulder and sniffling loudly.

"I promise, sweetheart. Mama didn't mean to scare you, and you shouldn't ever feel like you can't come to me. You can always come to me. Even if you're in the biggest trouble ever, you can come to me," Shelby states passionately, holding onto Santana as though she is the last thing holding her to this earth. "Do you need to get cleaned up, sweetheart?" Shelby questions softly.

"Uh huh. Will you come in the bath with me, mama?" Santana asks, her voice small and timid. This makes Shelby feel even more sad, Santana had never been shy about asking to bathe together, Shelby hates that she made the girl feel like she couldn't ask.

"Yeah, of course, babe." Shelby pulls out of the hug and places the plug into the drain and turns back to Santana, "arms up, honey." Santana dutifully lifts her arms over her head to allow her mama to take her pajama shirt off, a look of sheer relief on the five year old's face. Shelby helps Santana into the tub and smiles down at her, leaning down to tenderly kiss her girl's cheek. Straightening up, Shelby begins to undress and hopes that Brittany will sleep long enough for her to spend a little time with Santana. Shelby climbs into the tub and leans against the back, the ceramic material feeling cold against her bare skin. Santana slides closer to her and sits on her mama's lap, leaning her chin on Shelby's shoulder.

"I'm sorry I'm bad, mama," Santana mumbles.

"You're not bad, baby girl," Shelby reassures her. "You're naughty sometimes, but you're not bad." Shelby reaches for the sponge and begins to gently help Santana get cleaned up, tenderly taking care of her and making sure she knows her mama is always going to be there for her.

"I love you, mama." Shelby smiles and kisses the tip of Santana's nose. Her girls may have the ability to make her incredibly mad, but they are also the only people in the world who can make her heart melt. They're her reason for being in this world.

"I love you more, my sweet girl."

_**To be continued...This will be updated every Monday from now on so long as there is interest. What do you think Shelby should do? Please review.**_


	31. Chapter 31

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for all of the reviews for the last chapter. I love reading your thoughts on the story and I'd love for the feedback to continue :)**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 31

Santana dumps her apron in the back room with a sigh of relief as soon as the clock strikes five. In her opinion, working on Saturdays should be illegal. All day she's had irritated customers being super difficult with her because the place was packed. It usually was pretty busy in Starbucks, but the crappy weather had made it even more so today. One customer even complained to her about the rain, as though it was her fault! She's so glad she doesn't have to work again until Monday night because Santana really can't handle facing customers tomorrow. Waving goodbye to her manager, Santana all but sprints to the front door and steps outside into the pouring rain. She looks around for Quinn's car, but spots Shelby's instead, and she holds her jacket over her head as she jogs across the parking lot. Santana throws herself into the front passenger seat of Shelby's car with an unladylike grunt, and leans across the center console to kiss her mom's cheek.

"Hey, babe. How was work?" Shelby asks with a kind smile.

"It was okay," Santana shrugs as she clicks her seat belt into place. "How come you're here? I thought Quinn was picking me up."

"I wanted to come instead," Shelby tells her vaguely. "I wanted to show you something."

"Show me what?" Santana asks curiously.

"You'll see," Shelby states, refusing to give Santana any more details. Santana frowns slightly and eyes Shelby suspiciously. "That won't work for you, honey," Shelby chuckles. "I'm used to your scowls, they don't work on me." Santana smirks and rolls her eyes, choosing to just watch the passing streets and try to work out where Shelby is taking her instead. She turns the radio on to drown out the sound of the rain battering against the cars, groaning when Justin Bieber plays and turning it back off. "Don't worry, it's not far. You'll work it out in a few moments," Shelby smiles.

"Have I been there before?" Santana asks.

"Yeah, _plenty_ of times," Shelby responds as she turns onto the street of her and Holly's place of work. "There's something I want to show you in here, and I want us to have a little chat without being interrupted," she explains. Santana glances at Shelby in confusion, she has no idea what Shelby is referring to, but she doesn't say anything. She's going to find out very soon anyway. Shelby throws her a small smile as she parks the car, parking as close to the building as she legally can so as to minimize their time in the rain. "Let's go, babe." Shelby hops out of the car and pops her umbrella up before making her way round to Santana's side of the car. Once Santana is out of the car, Shelby wraps her arm around her waist, holding her close so that she is protected by the umbrella. She leads the teenager towards the building, greeting Holly as she lets them into the building before rushing back to her client. "Go on into my office, honey. I'll be right there," Shelby tells her, ushering Santana out of the reception area and moving around to her desk, grabbing a couple of things that she needs. Santana, still confused, heads into her mom's office and sits down on the black, leather sofa that sits in one corner of the room. She looks around at all the toys and appliances in the room, remembering when she used to come here on a regular basis. Back when she used to pay for Shelby to be her mama...before they became a family.

"Seems like such a long time ago," Santana murmurs as Shelby walks into the room, accepting the bottle of soda that her mom hands to her.

"It does," Shelby nods. Santana watches while Shelby sits down on the other end of the sofa, a small plastic box in her hands. "Does it feel weird to be back in this room?"

"Yeah," Santana looks around the room again, "a good weird, though. I feel kinda nostalgic, I have a lot of good memories of this room," Santana says softly. "Not that I don't appreciate you bringing me here, but I don't understand why we're here," she adds quietly. Shelby nods and looks down at the box on her lap, as though she's just remembering that she has it.

"This," Shelby begins, pulling out some papers, "is the contract you signed when you first came here." Shelby hands it to Santana with a gentle smile. "You were so nervous and you kept pretending that you were only here because Brittany wanted you to be," she tells her with a fond smile.

"But you saw right through it."

"I did," Shelby nods. "I could see it in your eyes that it was something you really wanted. It just took you some time to admit it to yourself, and then eventually to me," Shelby murmurs. She reaches into the box and pulls out a small, stuffed rabbit. "Original Bugs," Shelby declares with a smile. "This was the first toy you played with. You seemed to just fall in love with it," she smiles. "That's why I bought you one that was only for you."

"I remember," Santana whispers, blinking back sudden tears and swallowing thickly. "Little Santana freaked out when you brought it home from the store."

"That's right," Shelby chuckles. "I don't think you've ever looked so excited before. It was a beautiful sight to see. Especially when you took Bugs to bed with you for the first time, you spent longer tucking him in and making sure he was comfortable than I spent tucking you in." Shelby smiles warmly as she reaches into the box to pull one more item out. "And this...this is the first picture you drew me." She hands Santana the drawing, smiling at the messy family portrait on the sheet of paper. "You gave this to me at the end of your first session, do you remember?"

"Yeah," Santana whispers, her voice thick with emotion as she stares down at the drawing in her hand.

"I kept these things because they are important to me. They are a small collection of firsts. Every parents has keepsakes of things their child has done," Shelby explains softly. "I brought you here today because I don't think it's little Santana that has fears and insecurities, I think it's you. Little Santana has never been abandoned or mistreated. You have, and that kills me," Shelby murmurs sadly. "I wanted to show you this because I want you to know that you are wanted, and you are loved. That's why I kept the contract, and the drawing and the stuffed toy...because these remind me of when _you_ came into my life...not just little Santana." There's a passion in Shelby's tone that Santana doesn't think she has heard before, and she struggles to swallow the colossal lump in her throat. "You will _always_ be my daughter, Santana. I promise you." Santana's face crumples and tears leak from her dark eyes as Shelby gathers her into her arms.

"I was never good enough," Santana sobs into Shelby's shoulder. "Nothing I said, or did would please them. All I wanted was for them to love me!"

"I know, baby girl, I know," Shelby murmurs soothingly, holding Santana tightly and rubbing her back.

"I just want to be good enough," Santana whimpers, sniffling loudly and grasping onto Shelby as though she is the last thing holding her to the earth. Shelby blinks back her own tears, hating that Santana is so hurt and insecure. Her fears and insecurities that only come out through little Santana are finally out in the open, she's finally letting her emotions out and no longer bottling everything in.

"You _are_ good enough, sweetheart. You're more than good enough, I promise you," Shelby tells her passionately. "You're beautiful, and smart, and funny and kind. I feel so blessed to have you, and I will _always_ want you, my sweet girl. Always," she swears. "Don't you ever doubt yourself, you are amazing, and you're my girl."

"Don't let me go, mommy."

"I won't, baby. I won't."

_**To be continued... So, I thought Santana and Shelby needed this moment and I felt like it would work best as a stand alone chapter...I hope you liked it. Please let me know what you think!**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**I do not own Glee or any of the original characters, It all belongs to RIB and Fox. Any characters you don't recognise are my own creations.**_

_**Thank you for all of the reviews for the last chapter, you guys are the ones who are keeping this story going.**_

_**A/N - **__** I'm fully aware of the length of my updates and, while I understand it is frustrating to receive short chapters, I really do not have the time to write longer ones right now. RL comes first, I'm afraid.**_

_**R&R please.**_

Chapter 32

The car ride home is mostly silent, Santana too emotionally spent to start a conversation and Shelby realizing it is best to just leave Santana to her thoughts. They'd had a pretty intense hour at her office and, while it was emotionally draining and hard to do, Shelby is glad she did it. Santana needed to be reassured and comforted, she needed to open up about her fears and be shown that her fears would never come true. Shelby knows it will take more than just this evening to rid Santana of these fears and insecurities, but it was a damn good start.

"Are Quinn and Britt home?" Santana speaks for the first time since they left Shelby's office, her voice raspy and raw from crying.

"Their little selves are," Shelby murmurs in response. "Holly is with them. We can stay out a little longer if you're not ready to go home yet," she adds softly. Santana shakes her head,

"No, I'm fine. I just want to go home and relax," Santana murmurs. "Thanks, though. And thank you for today," she adds softly. "I needed it." Shelby glances at her and smiles warmly, reaching across the center console to take Santana's hand into hers.

"I know you did, honey. You don't need to thank me, it's all a part of being a mom," Shelby replies tenderly. They share a smile, and Santana blinks back fresh tears. She looks away from her mom and stares out of the window, she doesn't want to cry any more. She's done enough of that lately. She's so thankful for what she has. From having parents who barely even spoke to her, to having a loving mom who would do anything for her. Santana loves her new family, but there's still that seed of doubt in the back of her mind that she wishes she could get rid of. "You wanna stop for some pizza or would you rather wait and call for some once we're home?"

"I'd rather just go straight home, mom," Santana mutters. "I just feel so...drained, I guess."

"Not a problem, babe. The girls will be in bed soon, so we can just relax in my room. Maybe watch a movie?" Shelby suggests. "After Quinn convinces you to give her a bath, of course." It's extremely rare for adult Santana to be around little Quinn and little Brittany but, when she is, they adore her. Santana may never choose to babysit them, but she doesn't mind hanging out with them. They're cute and funny.

"Yeah, that sounds nice," Santana smiles. "It's so weird...having little sisters, I mean. It's take some time to get used to that." Santana chuckles softly, "they seem to think I'm awesome and it's nice when people are excited to be around you."

"We all want to be around you, honey," Shelby tells her. "At all times." Santana shyly looks away from Shelby, a rare moment of embarrassment. She may seem confident, and sometimes cocky, to outsiders, but Shelby knows that most of the time it is a front. A shield to protect herself from being hurt again. Unfortunately, Santana forgets that she doesn't need to protect herself around her family. It's something Shelby knows she'll need to work on. The rest of the journey is silent, they've said everything that needed to be said and they're content in each other's company. As soon as Shelby guides the car into the garage, they spot Quinn standing at the inside door. The girl looks positively overjoyed to see them, but she remembers to keep her feet planted on the carpet in the hallway. She knows she's not allowed in the garage until the car has completely stopped and the engine is off. Quinn pounces on Santana as soon as she steps out of the car, wrapping her arms around in her tight hug and grinning from ear to ear.

"I thought you'd never come home!" she exclaims dramatically, completely ignoring her mama as she beams at Santana and grabs onto her hand, dragging Santana into the house. Shelby follows them inside, an amused smile on her lips as she watches Brittany attach herself to Santana.

"Play, Santana!" Brittany cries, grabbing Santana's free hand and helping Quinn pull her into the living room. Shelby follows after them and leans over the back of the sofa just as Santana is pushed onto it.

"Now do you see how wanted you are?" Shelby murmurs into Santana's ear. She presses a soft kiss to Santana's temple and straightens up, smiling at the tearful grin that Santana shoots her.

"Girls, where's aunt Holly?" Shelby asks them, chuckling softly when they both seem to realize that she's there and run to hug her.

"Dunno!" Brittany replies, cutely throwing her hands. "Hiding?" Shelby laughs and playfully ruffles Brittany's hair.

"I don't think she'd be hiding, baby girl," she replies kindly. "Why don't you go look for her just in case," she suggests. She watches in amusement as Brittany scurries off in search of her aunt Holly. "And how are you feeling, sweetheart?" Shelby asks Quinn. "Are you feeling a little less sore?"

"Uh huh! I'm feeling lots better, mama!"

"Well, I am very glad to hear that," Shelby smiles. "Are you ready to have your bath?" she questions. Quinn's face falls and she gazes desperately at Santana.

"I'll help you, then we can watch a movie in my room. Does that sound okay?" Santana asks kindly, laughing lightly when Quinn launches herself into her arms. "Alright, go get naked and I'll be there in a second," Santana tells her, playfully poking Quinn in the ribs.

"Okay, but be quick," Quinn says seriously. "It's cold being naked!" Santana rolls her eyes good naturedly and gently pushes Quinn in the direction of the door.

"Get your butt upstairs," Santana laughs. She catches Shelby's gaze, and the woman sits down next to her as Quinn rushes upstairs. "It's certainly never boring around here," Santana states with a grin.

"It definitely isn't," Shelby chuckles. "How are you feeling now? A little better?" Santana sighs softly and thinks for a moment,

"yeah...yeah, I feel okay," she nods. "I certainly felt the love when we got home," she smirks. "I've felt it all evening, actually," Santana amends.

"That's because you are loved, babe," Shelby smiles. "Are you sure you're okay with helping Quinn with her bath? I can do it if you like?" she offers. Santana shakes her head,

"nah. I can do it. You should go talk to aunt Holly," Santana tells her. "She's been watching us from the kitchen since we got home," she adds, gesturing to the door and rolling her eyes when Holly attempts to hide herself.

"Brittany!" They both look up at the ceiling when they hear Quinn's outraged yell.

"I've got it," Santana chuckles. "Go relax, I'll yell if I need you." Santana forces herself to her feet and makes her way upstairs. "Guys, where are you?" she calls out, hearing another yell coming from the bathroom. Santana steps into the room to find Quinn desperately shielding herself with a towel while Brittany tries to look underneath it. "Britt, what are you doing?!" Santana barely manages to stifle the laugh that threatens to bubble from her throat.

"Wanna see!" Brittany tells her, her face serious and a look of sheer determination in her blue eyes.

"Britt, you can't just look at people when they're naked, not if they don't want you to," Santana gently scolds.

"But...bigger!" Brittany states sadly. Santana frowns in confusion as she gently pulls Brittany away from Quinn. "Bigger," she repeats, pointing at Quinn's chest. Santana bites down on her bottom lip to stop herself from smiling, struggling to school her features as she gazes at Brittany.

"Brittany, every person's body is a little different," Santana begins. "But that doesn't mean you're allowed to look at them, and you definitely can't pull at someone's towel when they're trying to cover themselves up," she explains. "Now, I think you should say sorry to Quinn and then go downstairs and tell mama what you did." Brittany's face falls and Santana frowns, she hates seeing her little sister look so sad. "You're not in trouble, honey. You didn't know...just tell mama why you have to stay downstairs so that she knows. I can tell her for you, but only if you promise to go downstairs," Santana offers.

"Okay," Brittany murmurs sadly.

"Good girl. Now, what do you say to Quinn?" Santana coaches her.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Quinn responds stiffly, still a little upset about it. Santana guides Brittany out of the bathroom and watches as she sadly walks downstairs. Santana chuckles to herself as she thinks about what had just gone down.

"Even as a kid, she's still a little perv."

_**To be continued... As said in my A/N, this is the best I could do right now. I hope you guys understand. Please review.**_


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